The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi has launched its 2025 E-Learning Awareness Week, highlighting the need for responsible innovation and inclusive transformation in the digital era.
Professor Eric Asante Appau, Director of the KNUST E-Learning Centre, was happy with initiative's growth since 2022.
“What began as a modest initiative has evolved into a vibrant institutional tradition,” he said.
This year’s theme, “Transforming Education Through Responsible Innovation and Inclusion in the Digital Era,” serves as a call to action, he added, stressing that while innovation drives modern education, it must be guided by ethical responsibility and inclusivity.
“As we witness the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and big data shaping teaching and learning, our responsibility is to ensure that these tools become instruments of equity, accessibility, and empowerment, rather than barriers that deepen educational divides,” he said.
Prof. Appau outlined the week’s activities, including college-level breakout sessions, a panel discussion on AI and plagiarism, instructional design workshops, and storytelling sessions led by digital content creator WODE MAYA. The programme will culminate in a two-day international conference and the launch of the KNUST E-Learning Journal.
Vice-Chancellor Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson said that while digital technologies are reshaping teaching and learning globally, KNUST is approaching the shift with intentionality.
“We believe that the true value of educational technology lies not just in improving efficiency, but in advancing equity and ensuring that no one is left behind,” she said.
She cited the Centre’s success in scaling up computer-based examinations, noting that more than 50,000 students across all six colleges have participated in online assessments.
“This milestone was made possible through careful planning, strategic infrastructure upgrades, and effective collaboration. We thank the Director and team,” she said.
Dickson also highlighted innovative facilities such as KNUST’s Virtual Reality and podcast studios, which are enhancing the delivery of practical and technical courses. She commended ongoing partnerships with industry, singling out the E-Happy Project, a collaboration with Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Limited, as a model for equipping youth with both agricultural and digital skills.
Delivering the keynote on behalf of Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Mr. Emmanuel Ofori, Director of the Ministry’s Innovations Directorate, urged a national commitment to closing digital inequalities.
“The future of education is already here. Our job now is to ensure it is just, inclusive, and empowering for every Ghanaian child,” he said. “And to our students: dream big and learn with purpose.”
He called on universities to lead research that is both locally relevant and globally impactful and encouraged private and international partners to support an equitable digital future.
Mr. Daniel Acquaye, CEO of Agri-Impact Group, shared his personal journey and encouraged youth to adopt a solution-oriented mindset.
“I started life with a dream, which was to build an agribusiness enterprise that could one day stand alongside some of the most successful firms in the world,” he said. “That vision was born out of a deep awareness of the gaps in the agribusiness landscape.”
He urged the youth to see themselves as key to the next wave of transformation.
“The future belongs to the young. Ghana’s greatest asset today is its youth, and everything we do must be centered around empowering them through digital tools and creative thinking,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of inclusion, Acquaye announced that the E-Happy Project had successfully integrated persons with disabilities into its digital agribusiness training.
“Inclusion must go beyond words. I’m proud to say we’ve onboarded persons with disabilities into agribusiness through our E-Happy Project. True inclusion means bringing in those who have long been excluded from economically viable opportunities,” he said.
He stressed the importance of intentional partnerships between academia and industry to leverage ideas and resources that will transform Ghana.
As part of the launch, the Dan F. Acquah Drone Innovation and Simulation Unit was commissioned to provide hands-on drone technology training for students and professionals. The initiative is supported by Mr. Daniel Acquaye.
Other events included robotics and AI training sessions for senior high school students under the RAIL-KNUST programme, and the Tek Smartest Quiz Competition, which promotes digital literacy and academic excellence.
