The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, has welcomed management of Alisa Hotels to discuss potential areas of collaboration between the University and the hotel chain.
Group General Manager, Yusuf Olela Omanya expressed appreciation to KNUST for its ongoing support and highlighted existing partnerships, particularly in student internships facilitated through the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
“We value our relationship with KNUST and are here to discuss ways to deepen it further,” Omanya said. “We are proud to contribute to student training and look forward to expanding internship opportunities and strengthening our overall partnership.”
Omanya was accompanied by Esperanza Adjei, Group Sales and Marketing Manager, and Godfred Kwagiyiri, Sales Executive.
Prof. Dickson thanked the delegation for the visit and commended Alisa Hotel for its commitment to quality service. She reaffirmed KNUST’s dedication to strategic partnerships that promote academic and professional excellence.
The Vice-Chancellor underscored the importance of industry-academia collaboration in preparing students for the job market.
“We want our students to be industry-ready. That can only happen when they are trained under real-world standards and expectations,” she said.
Prof. Dickson also noted that while KNUST strives to provide a world-class academic experience, student welfare remains a priority. She described inadequate student accommodation as one of the University’s pressing challenges.
“With a student population of over 80,000, we continue to seek partnerships with industry players like Alisa Hotel to enhance the living and learning conditions of our students,” she said. “Accommodation remains a growing concern, and collaboration is essential in addressing it sustainably.”
She also called for support towards the Support One Needy Student with One Laptop (SONSOL) Project an initiative that assists brilliant but needy students with learning tools and resources.
