The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, College of Engineering has held a career development seminar for young lecturers, as part of efforts to strengthen teaching quality, research output and professional advancement among early-career faculty.
About 30 lecturers from departments across the College took part in the orientation, which focused on promotion pathways, research excellence, grantsmanship and academic integrity.
Opening the seminar, College Registrar Dr. Paul Kwadwo Addo said the College considers staff development central to its mandate.
“Your professional progress is of paramount importance to us,” he said. “The success of our lecturers is intrinsically linked to the success of the College and the University, and it is in our direct interest to provide unwavering support.”
Provost of the College, Prof. Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko, said the seminar was structured to clarify expectations around teaching, research and service, which form the core of academic work at KNUST.
“This discussion is designed to guide your core academic work, which rests on three pillars: teaching, research, and service. We aim to clarify expectations in these key areas,” he said, urging lecturers to pursue research with tangible impact, including commercialisation and patents.
Senior academics delivered sessions on key aspects of career development. Prof. Wilson Agyei Agyare, Director of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adaptive Land Use (WASCAL), outlined the promotion process, advising lecturers to understand university structures, document teaching and service activities annually, and seek mentorship.
“Your success as a lecturer depends on the decisions you make today to publish and serve,” he said.
From the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Lena Dzifa Mensah discussed effective teaching practice, highlighting pedagogy, reflection and professional responsibility.
“Despite constraints, we must still endeavour to train the future generations of our country,” she said.
Dean of the Faculty of Civil and Geoengineering, Prof. Kwaku Amaning Adjei, described research excellence as a deliberate strategy, telling participants:
“At KNUST, teaching makes you busy; research makes you valuable and promotable.”
Former Provost Prof. Samuel Innocent Kofi Ampadu spoke on academic integrity and professional growth, framing integrity as a foundation of honesty, trust and responsibility, while Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Director of the Office of Grants and Research, shared practical guidance on grantsmanship, emphasising persistence, integrity and the need to keep proposals continually in development.
Participants described the seminar as timely and practical, saying it provided clear direction for navigating academic careers.
