The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, has held stakeholder meetings with staff of the University from 10th -12th August 2020.The purpose of the exercise is to share her vision with staff of the University for the next four years and to afford them the opportunity to make inputs into the vision in order to make it a collective one. She observed that the success of KNUST is, and has always been, a shared responsibility that requires the continued mutual efforts of all members of staff.
The Vice-Chancellor, in her presentation dubbed, ‘’Positioning KNUST as a competitive global research-intensive institution for advancement in Science and Technology for industrial and social uptake towards sustainable national and global development”, encouraged staff of the University to work hard to place KNUST as a research-intensive institution in Ghana and beyond.
Professor Dickson’s priorities areas include; Human Capital Development/Staff Welfare, Impactful Research & Innovations, Digitisation/ICT, Entrepreneurship Drive for Students, Infrastructure Development, Constructive Partnerships, Resource Generation and Management, and Increasing visibility of the University.
On Human Capital Development and Staff Welfare, the Vice-Chancellor indicated that this goal seeks to attract, develop and retain talents among staff. She noted that this goal would ensure the training of staff in diversified modes of delivery such as virtual technologies and E-pedagogies in teaching. This goal, she added, would also establish Structured Leadership & Excellence Development programmes (SLED) and the Staff Creativity and Innovations Recognition Programme (SCIRP) to enhance leadership development among staff. Professor Dickson on staff welfare, promised to enhance staff motivation, welfare and pension and introduce the Staff Support Schemes (SSS) and pledged to champion health by introducing periodic health walks for staff.
Regarding Impactful Research & Innovations, the Vice-Chancellor emphasised, Management will establish an Enterprise Development Unit (EDU) for coordination and commercialisation of research findings, creating a Young Researchers Forum (YRF) intended to acquire skills in Grantsmanship, Teaching and Research Communications, increasing female researchers in STEM disciplines through mentorship and attractive fellowships and introducing the Vice-Chancellor’s Industry Biannual Encounter (VIBE Meetings) as well as enhancing Library Research Support Services among others.
The Vice Chancellor further intimated that a robust and resilient E-learning system will be provided to enhance teaching, learning and research, Professor Dickson revealed plans of increasing access to ICT and digitisation infrastructure. She was very particular about the role of ICT in teaching and learning. She added that it has become needful for the inclusion of Smart Technologies for synchronous and asynchronous teaching, learning, assessments, and research virtual as well as augmented reality labs for 3D-Aided Learning. For this cause, KNUST, with the help of philanthropists, would introduce the “SONSOL PROJECT” to support one needy student with one laptop.
In a bid to foster entrepreneurship for students, the Vice-Chancellor noted that efforts will be made to improve open elective courses for students using E-modules across disciplines to broaden their horizon and promote research-led teaching, student-centred life-long learning approaches and soft skills development. She explained that this would enable KNUST to produce all-rounded graduates for the future.
The Vice-Chancellor also revealed plans to construct a 24-hour library mall with digital online resources for students, enabling them to learn in a safe and serene environment. She likewise announced plans to modernise existing Laboratories, Workshops, Studios and Lecture Halls by equipping them with e-facilities for recording light audio and video files. She shared intentions on building a Central Multipurpose Laboratory Complex for undergraduate students to ease students’ pressure on existing facilities. Prof. Dickson further promised to provide an all-inclusive education, which means adopting barrier-free and disability friendly infrastructure.
Professor Dickson emphasised the need to strengthen relationships with KNUST alumni, the stakeholder community and the government. In order to facilitate this vision, she mentioned the creation of a KNUST- Alumni CONNECT App with features such as graduate tracking, bonding, alerts, news feeds to keep alumni informed on the progress of the University. According to her, her vision would also seek to enhance the Communities Impact Programme (CIP) to facilitate better interactions between the University and the society at large by addressing societal challenges.
In order to increase Internally Generated Funds (IGF) for the University, the Vice-Chancellor revealed intentions of establishing strategic production units including water and tissue manufacturing plants, commercialise research findings to ensure increased research uptake by society, develop short courses in demand-driven programmes, and promote the ‘One Department-One Start-Up (1D-1S)’ agenda which would make all ninety-nine departments of the University come up with a start-up projects.
The Vice-Chancellor further pledged to increase the visibility of KNUST by introducing University-Media interaction every semester and enhance the utilisation of social media by the University. Professor Dickson intimated her commitment to strengthen the decentralised Collegiate System, operate an open-door policy for information flow, promote teamwork and discipline as a strong organisational culture for the University among others for the betterment of KNUST.
Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson in her concluding remarks, encouraged all staff to put their shoulders to the wheels of KNUST and to come together and labour on to achieve a common objective.
