The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with North-West University (NWU), South Africa, aimed at expanding research collaboration and academic exchange.
The agreement formalises years of cooperation between KNUST School of Public Health and NWU’s Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART).
The collaboration, which began in 2018, has focused on hypertension and other NCDs, involving joint research projects, student co-supervision, and faculty engagement.
Professor Daniel Duah, Dean of the International Programmes Office at KNUST, highlighted the growth of the partnership:
“Since 2018, this relationship has evolved significantly. Given the shared aspirations of both institutions, it became imperative to formalise the partnership through an MoU that guides faculty and student mobility, joint research, and broader academic engagement,” he noted.
Prof. Lebo Gafane-Matemane, Lead of HART expressed enthusiasm for the formalisation of the collaboration, stating:
“Our work with Dr. Daniel Boateng and the NCD team at SPH has laid a strong foundation. Now is the right time to elevate this into a structured initiative that will benefit both students and faculty in their research careers.”
Dr. Daniel Boateng, a faculty member at the School of Public Health, has led much of the collaborative work with NWU, together with Schools’ NCD research team.
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to making the partnership impactful:
“In the higher education landscape, if you want to go far, the best approach is to go together. This collaboration is timely, non-communicable diseases like hypertension are becoming a pandemic. We are excited about this journey, and I assure you; you are in capable hands.
Prof. Akosua Dickson added: ‘For us, an MoU is not just a document, it is a commitment. We will not allow it to gather dust. Let us hold each other accountable. When we do that, the ultimate beneficiary is humanity.”
Also present at the signing were Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Asamoah; Deputy Registrar for Legal Services, Mr. Isaac Berko; Dean of the School of Public Health, Professor Peter Agyei-Baffour; School Registrar, Mrs. Ernestina Quarshie; and Assistant Registrar of the International Programmes Office, Mrs. Yvonne Baiden.
Visiting members from NWU included Dr. Felicia Maugana, Sr. Adele Burger and Ms. Navise Nonkululeko.
