The Centre For International Relations And Programmes (CIRP)

The Centre for International Relations and Programmes (CIRP)

The Centre is established to provide care and support for its partners who bring variety and richness to the University’s culture and image in the local and global higher educational terrain.

CIRP also promotes and coordinates all University external relations including staff and student exchange programmes and international students’ welfare.

The Centre’s mandate is to project CU to the outside world as a world-class higher learning destination for International Students.

The Centre is made up of three components: International Programmes, International Relations and International Students’ Services.

The Centre helps International Students to adjust to life at CU and make the most of what CU offers through a host of services and activities. The Centre promotes safe and healthy community life for people of all races, religions, nationalities, socio-economic backgrounds, gender, physical and learning abilities and ages. The Centre encourages behavior and expectation that all CU students will work together in one community, bound together by our faith commitment to learning and respect for one another.

For you to achieve the greatest possible benefit from your Ghanaian experience, the Centre has planned events such as excursions, debates and fun games that will provide useful insights into our University, Country and Culture.

By facing the challenge of studying and living with people with different cultural backgrounds, you will enrich yourself in a very practical way.

Gertrude Nelson (Mrs.) is the Head of the Center for International Relations & Programs (CIRP) and Student Recruitment at the Central University, Ghana.  She has a very rich experience in University Management through her 17- year portfolio of working in different administrative and senior management roles in the university. 

Joining the Central University’s (CU) workforce after her bachelor’s degree as part of the first batch of graduates in 2002, Gertrude was appointed as Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the School of Business Management & Administration (SBMA) now Central Business School.  She has also played relieving duty roles as personal assistant to the Vice Chancellor in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

When she assumed the office of the CIRP, she represented the university to participate in a maiden educational fair which was organized in Nigeria by the Ghana Export & Promotion Authority (GEPA) in collaboration with the Nigeria-Ghana Business Council. Gertrude has since participated in similar educational fairs as well as organizing On-Spot Admissions in Nigeria, an exercise that gave prospective applicants an opportunity to enquire about the universities faculties and programs as well as entry qualifications. Gertrude was also part of a three-member team that was tasked by Management of the University to visit Pan African College of Education (PANCOED) in Nigeria to inspect facilities, accreditation status and possible opportunity to collaborate with them upon their request. The team submitted its report which later yielded to a positive collaboration in March 2020. She has participated in numerous conferences and programs outside Ghana and within Ghana representing the University and the CIRP. 

She has served on numerous boards and committees within and outside the university. She is a member of the Institutional Advancement Committee, member of the Board of Trustees representing senior administrative members of the university, Disciplinary Committee for Junior Members, Standards & Sanctions Committee, University Time Table committee and Student Affairs Committee.

In the coming years, she wants to see the CIRP as a strategic center for the University, contributing to International Students’ recruitment, International Networking, International Partnership Research and Exchange programs as well as enhanced collaborations with business organisations and universities to promote Central University’s internationalisation globally. This means internationalisation is promoted as a top priority in Central University. Thus to have an international perspective, embedded in every layer of the university’s operational structure. Her unique inter-personal skill creates a cordial relationship with colleagues and international students from all walks of life. 

Head, CIRP paid a courtesy call on the Sierra Leonean ambassador, Her Excellency, Mrs. Francess Virginia Anderson,  the Sierra Leonian Ambassador at the High commission in Accra  to discuss educational opportunities at Central University, 2019

Central University participated in an Educational fair in Nigeria. Jan 2020

International recruitment exercise at Lagos, Nigeria, 2020