The Mastercard Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening its longstanding partnership with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), as a delegation led by the Senior Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and Country Director for Uganda, Mr. Adrian Bukenya, paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christian Agyare, to congratulate him on his appointment.
Professor William Otoo Ellis, Chairman of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at KNUST, said the Foundation had maintained a strong relationship with the University over the years and sought to formally engage the new Vice-Chancellor following the change in leadership.
He said the delegation was at KNUST to congratulate Professor Agyare and express its appreciation for the partnership and the impact of the Foundation's interventions at the University.
Mr. Bukenya reaffirmed the Mastercard Foundation's commitment to its longstanding partnership with KNUST, describing the University as one of its key institutional partners in advancing the Foundation's mission of expanding access to education and reducing poverty.
"We are looking forward to our continued partnership," he said, congratulating Professor Agyare on his appointment.
He noted that the Mastercard Foundation, established 20 years ago, had spent a significant part of its journey working with KNUST. According to him, the Foundation's work is focused primarily on Africa because of the continent's growing youth population and its potential to become the world's future workforce.
"The future of the world sits on this continent. The workforce of the world that is coming is really here," he said, stressing the importance of creating opportunities for young people to realise their potential.
Mr. Bukenya also congratulated KNUST on being selected as one of the first recipients of the Mastercard Foundation's Africa Higher Education Transformation Awards, describing the recognition as a testament to the University's leadership in higher education on the continent.
"This award demonstrated that everybody is looking at KNUST and you have a responsibility to continue leading by example in higher education transformation," he said.
He said the Foundation intended to further strengthen the transformative leadership component of the Scholars Program by extending its impact beyond students' academic experience and supporting scholars to realise their potential as leaders within their communities and beyond.
Mr. Bukenya also announced progress on the third phase of the Scholars Program, saying the proposal had received approval from the Foundation's Board and that both institutions were working towards completing the contracting process ahead of implementation.
He referenced the Africa Health Collaborative and other areas of engagement between the Foundation and KNUST, stressing the need to strengthen coordination across the various initiatives.
According to him, closer collaboration would enhance the global standing of African higher education institutions by strengthening institutional systems, improving data and impact measurement, and demonstrating their capacity and effectiveness.
Professor Agyare expressed appreciation to the Foundation for the visit and for the confidence it had placed in his leadership.
"What I can say is that there will be continuity and, as part of it, we are going to make sure that we even enhance it and put it at a higher level," he said.
The Vice-Chancellor said the Foundation's interventions had made a significant impact on the University, particularly on students, faculty and the broader University community, making the partnership an important one.
He assured the Foundation of the University's continued institutional support for its programmes.
"The support that the Foundation has been getting from the management, we are going to continue with that," he said, adding that the University would do what was within its mandate to facilitate the partnership.
Professor Agyare also called for greater visibility of the Foundation's impact within the University and Ghanaian society, particularly the contributions made through the Scholars Program to the development of young people from Ghana and across Africa.
He assured the delegation that the University would continue to work closely with the Foundation to respond to feedback from scholars and ensure that beneficiaries received the support they needed throughout their academic journey.
The Vice-Chancellor further expressed hope that the partnership would remain strong beyond his tenure, adding that the relationship between KNUST and the Mastercard Foundation should continue to deliver transformative impact for future generations.
Story: Abigail Ofori Photos: Isaac Kwaku Duah
