The Quality Assurance and Planning Unit (QAPU) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has organised the 4th KNUST Summer School. The Summer School is an innovation of the university to afford its staff members the opportunity to upgrade themselves in selected areas to help enhance their output for better productivity. The programme which took place at the College of Science auditorium from August 18 – 22, 2014, was under the theme “Advancing Science and Technology through Effective Communication.”
In his welcome address, Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST explained that communication was inevitable, because human beings are social entities. Communication came through various means including verbal and non-verbal, for varied reasons and in our case as an academic institution for teaching, instructing, motivating, problem solving and even socializing.
He added that in most cases, we think or “feel” that we have communicated and this sometimes presents a lot of challenges many of which do not come to our attention for resolution. This posed several challenges and sometimes affected productivity at our workplaces. It was for this reason we are being presented with an opportunity to review how we have been communicating and the impact of our communication in advancing science and technology and other core specializations.
He concluded that there was the need to be conscious of the fact that effective communication was critical to our work and that it required skill to be successful. We therefore need to acquire expertise in this area which comes through training, re-training and continuous training. It is in this connection that this school is important. He urged the participants to fully participate in the Summer School on effective communication to help enhance their skills and expertise.
The programme which was organised for all senior members, senior and junior staff of the university saw other teaching exercises and presentations on related topics by Professor Emmanuel Owusu Bennoah, Professor Kwame Karikari, Professor Samuel Nii Odai, Dr (Mrs) Ivy Margaret Amoakohene and other prominent speakers.
