The Chemistry department of the Faculty of Physical Sciences, in the College of Science, KNUST has organised a workshop for its stakeholders on the establishment of a postgraduate programme on Polymer Science and Technology.
This was a collaborative effort of the Department and the School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, U.K. with initial support from the Development of International Partnership in Higher Education (DELPHE) programme, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), and administered by the British Council.
Dr. Johannes A. M. Awudza, giving the background of the programme articulated that the MSc. Programme was intended to afford graduate students of different specialisations in the Sciences, the opportunity to have multifaceted education and training which would lead them to professional careers in the academia, industry, public institutions and above all, to be self-employed.
In an opening address, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. W. O. Ellis who deputised for the Vice Chancellor said that, since the establishment of the University, it has trained human capital needed in the various sectors of the country’s economy. He added that, there was no doubt that another programme is being established to take care of the societal demands appropriately.
He said “Chemistry has had tremendous impact on the affairs of mankind in relation to providing comfort, food, security, entertainment, among others. He said that, through Chemistry, polymers are increasingly becoming the no. 1 choice materials being used in the everyday life of man, globally for several purposes”. On the other hand, polymers have also created a lot of environmental problems, with this situation, it was therefore imperative that the University develops a programme that would make available, opportunities for students to gain training and skills in Polymer Science to deal with the problem of plastic nuisance”, he noted. He consequently called on all participants to make the necessary inputs to enrich the content of the programme and its delivery.
Dr. Victor Kwame Agyemang, Director of Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), who delivered the key note address on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, reiterated that Polymer Science and Technology was an important tool for both the socio-economic and technological advancement of the country, hence, the programme was very essential for the government’s better Ghana agenda. “Polymers are playing important roles in our daily lives, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of these materials in order to ensure that that right kinds of products are made for consumption. This requires the provision of the appropriate training and knowledge”, He said.
He applauded the University for positioning itself to establish the programme at the opportune time when Ghana has discovered petroleum in commercial quantities. In addition, he believed that, it would also create opportunities to develop polymer-based industries which would in turn create employment for the unemployed youth. He maintained that, the Polymer Science and Technology would also tackle the lasting waste management problem posed by the usage of polymers in the nation.
Dr. Agyemang subsequently challenged all the stakeholders involve in the industry to support the laudable initiative KNUST has made to accelerate the development of Ghana and Africa at large. He said, “I am glad that apart from training at the undergraduate level, KNUST is developing courses that target the training of specialists who can man different areas of the economy”. He ended by acknowledging the University of Manchester and other supporters for partnering with the University to establish the programme.
