The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) has paid a courtesy call on the management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), to explore a strategic partnership aimed at advancing accountancy education, enhancing students' professional development and strengthening industry-academia collaboration.
Leading the ICAG delegation, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Eric Oduro Osae, said the visit was to discuss the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would deepen collaboration between KNUST and ICAG while promoting the study and practice of accountancy.
He outlined several areas of the proposed partnership, including the establishment of an Accountancy Chair at KNUST, the formation of an ICAG Student Society on campus, and the creation of an ICAG Learning Centre to support the training and development of aspiring chartered accountants.
"As part of why we came, we want to establish an ICAG Learning Centre to promote the study and learning of accountancy, establish an Accountancy Chair, and create an ICAG Student Society on campus," he said.
Mr. Oduro Osae also stressed the importance of exposing students to practical industry experience early in their training. He said ICAG intends to connect students with auditing firms while they are still in school, enabling them to gain relevant work experience during vacation periods and begin meeting the professional experience requirements for full membership.
"Most people don't get admitted to membership because they don't get the opportunity to acquire the required experience. We want a situation where, while they are still in school, we can connect them to auditing firms so they can accumulate practical experience during their vacation," he said.
He further disclosed that ICAG, in collaboration with the Chinese and French embassies, is implementing an initiative to equip chartered accountants and accounting students with proficiency in at least one foreign language in addition to English. He said extending the initiative to KNUST students through the proposed partnership would enhance their competitiveness and broaden their international career opportunities.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. David Asamoah, said the University remains committed to building strategic partnerships that enhance teaching, learning and graduate employability, adding that collaboration is central to KNUST's strategic agenda.
"We believe in partnership because we know we cannot do it alone. We are always willing to collaborate with institutions that help us achieve our mandate of building the capacity of our students," he said.
He encouraged ICAG to work with the University to integrate elements of its professional curriculum into KNUST's academic programmes. Drawing on previous collaborations with professional bodies, he said such arrangements had strengthened the University's programmes by enabling students to meet professional certification requirements alongside their academic studies, thereby improving their employability upon graduation.
Prof. Asamoah assured the delegation of KNUST's readiness to support the partnership and said the University would work closely with ICAG to finalise the Memorandum of Understanding, paving the way for implementing the proposed initiatives.
"The things you want to do are all in the right direction. We will be more than happy to support this relationship. Our doors are open, and we look forward to working together to implement these initiatives," he said.
Story: Belinda Opoku Danso
