The Ambassador of Switzerland to Ghana, Her Excellency (Mrs.) Simone Giger paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson on Monday, 21st November 2022 at the Council Chamber.
According to Mrs. Giger, the purpose of the visit was to learn more about KNUST and also discuss prospective partnerships. She was hopeful that the discussion will yield potential opportunities for long-term partnerships and strengthen the existing partnerships with Swiss universities. She inquired about KNUST’s collaborations with other institutions and the ratio of gender balance of students.
The Vice-Chancellor, in her response to the Ambassador, expressed her appreciation for the visit stating that KNUST always leaps at the opportunity to expand its partnerships, networks, and horizons since it contributes to the growth of the University. She stated that the KNUST is driven by science and technology and its primary mission is research-intensive as it seeks to find solutions to everyday problems without neglecting the humanities.
Highlighting the gender distribution in the University, Professor Dickson noted that 43% of the student body are females and as the institution's first female Vice-Chancellor, she aspires to achieve a 50/50 gender balance.
She further emphasised the need to strengthen the bond between KNUST and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - ETH Zurich) as well as explore other partnerships with top universities in Switzerland to create more opportunities for its graduates.
The Dean of the International Programmes Office (IPO), Professor Daniel Duah outlined the number of partnerships KNUST has with other universities, noting that there are 528 partnerships worldwide and further led the Ambassador through the various colleges and courses the University is currently running.