The Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Shri Manish Gupta, has paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, on 26th September 2024 at the Council Chamber of the University. The visit aimed to explore new partnerships and deepen the existing relationship between India and the University.
His Excellency Gupta expressed his admiration for KNUST’s beautiful and lively campus. He acknowledged that Ghana has the highest number of projects undertaken by India in West Africa and emphasised that these projects are balanced in terms of gender considerations. He also expressed his desire to further strengthen the partnership with KNUST and explore new areas for collaboration. This includes initiatives such as the E-VBAB- e-VidyaBharti (Tele-education) and e-ArogyaBharti (E-VBAB) Project.
The E-VBAB Network Project is primarily a technological upgrade and extension of the Pan-African e-network project implemented in forty-eight (48) partner countries across Africa. The Project aims to provide local employment, education, and medical expertise from India to African students. It also offers an opportunity for global acceptance of the Indian University Education System and Indian Medical Health Services.
Professor Eric Appau Asante, the Director of the KNUST E-Learning Centre, provided updates on the ongoing E-VBAB Network Project, which was launched in 2021. He explained that the Project focuses on two (2) key areas: telemedicine and tele-education. He highlighted the success of the tele-education programme, which has enrolled numerous students, with about 70% already graduated. This platform, called iLearn, allows students who are unable to attend classes in person to study online. He disclosed that Ten (10) Indian universities are currently part of this initiative, offering courses in areas such as Human Resources, Management, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
The Director further explained that telemedicine, which is the second major component of the E-VBAB Project, is still in its early stages but holds great potential. Through this Project, he added, African healthcare professionals and patients can benefit from medical consultations from experts from India. He emphasised its importance and hoped that the partnership would continue.
In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson reaffirmed the University's commitment to the partnership with India. She was hopeful that High Commissioner Gupta would place more premium on the telemedicine aspect of the Project and consider the sustainability of the E-VBAB Project. "Partnership is one of the things that drives us as a University, and we hope that this project will not end here but move to the next phase," she said.
