Visit to Gold Coast to 14th November, 1953

Abstract

As the result of certain discussions Dr. J. F. V. Phillips, Professor of Agriculture at the University College of the Gold Coast, had with Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited and Sir Ernest Oppenheimer in London early in 1952, and subsequent information supplied to African EXplosives and Chemical Industries, Limited, our Board decided in December, 1952 to make a grant of £1,500 for two years for the appointment of an officer, whom Professor Phillips says would be at Senior Lecturer level and would be titled, "Research Fellow in Ecological Land Utilization and Planning". He also stated in his memorandum of 5th May, 1952 that existing and prospective arrangements do not specifically provide for a senior appointment by the College in this subject and pointed out in considerable detail how necessary and important such an appointment was. Furthermore, "The setting up of a small subdepartment for research and for the training of men in this kind of survey and planning would probably have important bearing on the course of agricultural development in the Gold Coast, and, it is expected elsewhere in British West Africa." There is apparently considerable demand for men trained along these lines not only in Africa but on a world-wide basis.