The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, is hosting a three-day closing conference for the AMbassadors for sustainable transITION (AMBITION) Project consortium.
The AMBITION Project is the first funded initiative under the IDEA League-Joint Europe-Africa programme. It brought together a consortium of leading institutions across Europe and Africa, including Politecnico di Milano (Italy), RWTH Aachen University (Germany), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), Strathmore University (Kenya), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and KNUST (Ghana).
The project’s mission is to cultivate the next generation of sustainability leaders by equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to drive global progress.
Speaking at the conference, Dr. Samuel Yaw Akomea, KNUST Coordinator for the AMBITION Project, expressed appreciation for the collaborative spirit that characterized the project.
“The most profound impact of the AMBITION Project has been on our students, particularly those at the doctoral level. They have gained vital research, communication, and policy engagement skills, equipping them to serve as scientific ambassadors for sustainable development across Africa and beyond,” he said.
He further highlighted KNUST’s significant contributions: “As a proud partner, KNUST has served as a hub for innovation, knowledge exchange, and academic collaboration. We have hosted scholars, organized transformative workshops, and contributed to pioneering initiatives such as game-based learning and sustainable innovation schools.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Akomea reaffirmed KNUST’s commitment to building on the project’s foundation:
“We will continue to strengthen our doctoral programmes, deepen both global and local partnerships, including collaborations with institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ghana and integrate sustainability more deeply into our teaching, research, and campus operations.”
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christian Agyare, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, expressed hope that young professionals trained under the project would influence policy and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development agendas at both global and local levels.
Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, CEO of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), commended the cross-continental collaboration of the AMBITION Project. She praised its role in cultivating a new generation of professionals ready to lead sustainable futures.
“Our policy direction at the EPA is focused on inclusion, equity, and resilience. We are not merely adopting global frameworks, we are localizing them,” she stated. “In the coming year, we plan to expand EPA offices to district levels to ensure community-level implementation. We are building home-grown solutions while upholding our global responsibilities. Policies, no matter how well-crafted, require informed implementers like the PhD students trained through this project who understand the systems shaping these solutions.”
Professor Klutse described the AMBITION Project as a blueprint for mobilizing knowledge through the integration of technical training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world engagement:
“Let AMBITION be a living network, a community of practice that continues to support its members across academia, government, and industry.”
She called on universities and research centres to keep investing in Africa-led research and encouraged partner institutions to expand co-created programmes of this nature. To the PhD students, she offered a final charge:
“Carry forward the AMBITION spirit with conviction and clarity.”
Sharing the next steps from the consortium’s perspective, Professor Emanuela Colombo, Rector’s Delegate to Science Diplomacy at Politecnico di Milano, advocated for greater inclusion of African voices in global science, technology, and innovation partnerships.
