When the COVID-19 pandemic shut classrooms across Ghana in 2020, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology faced an urgent question: “how could teaching and learning continue without physical presence?”

Campuses were empty, and universities everywhere were forced to answer questions no one had prepared for.

That question became the starting point of what is now the KNUST E-Learning Centre, a hub that has reshaped how the university learns, teaches, and connects to the world.

At the centre of that effort was Professor Eric Appau Asante, appointed as the university’s first Director of E-Learning.

 

From a crisis to a new learning culture

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed KNUST to move lessons, assessments, and tutorials online almost overnight.

But what began as an emergency measure soon became a structured system for digital learning.

Under Prof. Asante’s leadership, the E-Learning Centre grew from a small coordination unit into a full-fledged university directorate.

It now has four main divisions, Instructional Design, Systems Support, Service Support, and Proctor and Online Assessment, staffed by over 20 professionals made up of administrators and technicians.

The Centre today supports thousands of lecturers and students each semester through its virtual learning platform, multimedia studios, and computer-based examination system.

Over five years, the Centre developed 137 full online and blended courses and supported more than 50,000 students through computer-based exams.

It also trained and certified 1,600 lecturers and tutors in online pedagogy and assessment.

The Centre introduced continuous professional development training programs for faculty members, teaching and graduate assistants, technicians, security staff, digital literacy training for students and even cleaners.

This shows that e-learning was not for a few, but for everyone on campus.

 

Building the foundation

What began with borrowed spaces and limited tools is now a structured, well-equipped facility.

Yet, for years, progress came through personal sacrifice.

Professor Asante often used his personal vehicle to transport equipment and devices for training and installations long before the Centre acquired its own pickup vehicle.

Staff members recall him personally driving projectors, cables, and laptops to workshops and departments across campus.

He never saw any task as small or beneath him, but led by example.

Currently, the Centre has offices at the CCB Auditorium, Casley Hayford Building and in 2025 secured an additional home at the Library Mall.

At the various offices are podcast studios, immersive learning labs, drone simulation rooms, and smart instructional design suites.

These facilities support digital course production and virtual learning for the entire university.

Beyond campus, KNUST’s E-Learning Centre became a training hub for affiliate institutions, including nursing colleges and private universities nationwide.

Over 1,000 tutors from across Ghana have received training through its programs.

 

Creating spaces for ideas

One of his most visible initiatives has been the E-Learning Awareness Week and International Conference, held annually since 2023.

The event brings together educators, researchers, and technology experts to share ideas on online education.

These annual gatherings have since become a space for conversation, collaboration, and research in online pedagogy.

One of the outcomes of these events is the KNUST E-Learning Journal, launched in 2025 which is an open-access publication that promotes research in online education and technology-enhanced learning.

 

Digital transformation and inclusivity

But one of the most important legacies of Prof. Asante’s tenure is the Centre’s inclusive learning initiatives.

Students with hearing and visual impairments were trained to navigate the KNUST virtual learning platform independently.

The Centre introduced sign language interpretation during online events and began testing screen reader–friendly course pages, making KNUST’s e-learning one of the most inclusive in the country.

The Centre’s work also extends to the KNUST Obuasi campus, and other campuses across Ghana where blended learning became central to academic delivery.

Students on the various campuses can access online courses, submit assignments digitally, and join live lectures from Kumasi.

It is to give every student, regardless of location, the same access to quality learning resources.

The Centre also created helpdesk systems and online tutorials for students.

Its helpdesk portal and video resources became some of the most used support tools at KNUST.

 

Staff development

Beyond infrastructure, Professor Asante focused on people.

He introduced continuous professional development training for all staff, encouraging cross-unit participation so that administrators and technicians understood each others work.

In October 2025, the Centre held an intensive internal training on “Mastering the Administration of Computer-Based Exams,” 

It was to help build a skilled team capable of running and supporting large-scale digital assessments at the university.

 

Partnerships

Partnerships became another pillar of Prof. Asante’s leadership.

Collaboration with organizations such as the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Arizona State University, and South Dakota State University also expanded KNUST’s reach into the global learning community.

International delegations from universities and governments, including Seychelles, Eswatini, and Japan’s University of Tsukuba, visited to learn from KNUST’s model.

By 2025, the Centre had become part of national and continental conversations on digital education.

It contributed to Ghana’s discussions on artificial intelligence policy and collaborated with CENDLOS and the Ministry of Education on digital learning standards.

Under his guidance, the Centre worked on national projects such as eHAPPY, which was in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation and Agri Impact Limited.

It trained young people in using digital tools for agriculture and entrepreneurship.

 

Leadership and legacy

Professor Asante’s approach to leadership is consistency.

Staff at the Centre often described him as patient, open, and committed to teamwork.

He believed in building people as much as systems.

At the final staff meeting on 30 October 2025, there was laughter and silence in turns as he spoke about the Centre’s journey.

He reminded his team that the E-Learning Centre was about changing how people think about teaching and learning.

 

A handover and a continuation

On 29 October 2025, Professor Asante officially handed over leadership to Professor Emmanuel Kofi Akowuah, marking the end of his four-year term.

Professor Akowuah assumes office on 1 November 2025.

During the handover, Prof. Asante presented the Centre’s progress report, outlining achievements and the roadmap for future growth.

The staff meeting that followed the handover was filled with emotion.

There were smiles, hugs, and moments of reflection.

The E-Learning Centre Prof. Asante built is now part of KNUST’s core academic structure.

As he leaves office, Professor Asante returns to teaching.

But within the Centre he helped create, his presence still lingers in the systems and  in the teamwork.

 

Testimonials Beyond the Centre

Those who worked with or studied under Prof. Asante describe him as patient, visionary, and open-minded. Awushi Bruce, one of his former students, reflected:

“When lectures were suspended during COVID-19, I proposed continuing our lessons via Zoom, and you received the idea open-mindedly. Your willingness to adapt was instrumental in our academic success. The sessions were a huge success thanks to your guidance and expertise. I’m proud to have been one of your students, and grateful to have witnessed your leadership at the E-Learning Centre.”

Dr. Jones Opoku-Ware also paid tribute, noting: “Congratulations, Prof. You have always been an inspiration and have successfully gotten e-learning at KNUST on the world calendar. So proud and happy for all your accomplishments as the first and founding Director of E-Learning at KNUST. Your works speak for themselves. I wish you all the best in your new endeavours, as greatness awaits you.”

Kim Welch, an instructional designer at Arizona State University, added:

“I have never seen someone lead with such tireless vision. He has made lasting advances that will bless lives forever.”

And from Mastercard Foundation scholar Julius Kwabena Karikari:

“He really served well, and his works are clear in our sight. Congratulations to him and best wishes for what comes next.”