The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST) Kumasi, Akyamfoɔ Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, has urged the university to claim continental leadership in artificial intelligence, green hydrogen innovation, and gender equity in science,while remaining firmly grounded in human values and ethical responsibility.

Delivering his welcome address at the 286th regular meeting of the Council at Elmina in the Central Region, the Asafohene described AI as “the most profound transformation of human capability since electricity” and challenged KNUST to integrate it across its research and teaching ecosystems. 

He envisioned the university using AI to solve real-world problems in healthcare, agriculture, and education, particularly within the Ashanti Region.

But he was quick to emphasize that science and technology cannot stand alone. 

“True innovation emerges at the intersection of technical brilliance and human wisdom,” he said. “Science without ethics, and technology without cultural relevance, are incomplete paradigms.”

To that end, he called for a deeply integrated academic approach, fusing science and engineering with the arts, humanities, and ethics. “Our graduates must be more than technically proficient, they must be intellectually complete,” he stressed.

Akyamfoɔ Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu also urged KNUST to establish West Africa’s first green hydrogen research and production hub and to lead a transformation in gender participation in STEM. 

“We must dismantle every barrier that prevents women from fully participating in scientific research and technological innovation,” he declared.