TECHInfo Newsletter - Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and

TECHInfo
Newsletter
KNUST
Ranks 1st in
West Africa
University, it came as no surprise when
KNUST was ranked 20th in Africa
during the 2010 top 100 Universities
Ranking. KNUST is making headway
as the Premier Centre of excellence
in Africa for teaching in science and
technology for development.
T
The Management of KNUST is
proud to announce that the University
is still ranked number one (1st) in
Ghana, followed by University of
Ghana which is ranked 29th in Africa,
according to the July 2011 top 100
Universities Ranking report in Africa.
The University remains focused on
its vision of: “Advancing knowledge
in Science and Technology for
sustainable development in Africa”.
he
Kwame
Nkrumah
University of Science and
Technology
(KNUST),
Kumasi, one of the finest
science and technology institutions
in the world, has been ranked
number one (1st) among all the
universities in Ghana and West
Africa, and 13th on the African
Continent.
This was contained in the second
edition of 2011 Report of the Web
Ranking of World Universities based
on the following criteria: quality
education, internationalism, research
output, impact, and prestige.
Issues
The ranking is aimed at promoting
web publications,
supporting open
access initiatives, electronic access
to scientific publications, and other
academic materials. KNUST featured
in the Webometrics Ranking of the top
100 universities in Africa for the first
time in 2009.
KNUST Develops
Microchip
Volume 2
P R O F. W. O . E L L I S ( V. C . ) - K N U S T
During the January 2009 top African
Universities ranking, KNUST was ranked
53rd while the University of Ghana took the
55th position; however, the other Universities
in Ghana did not make the list. Subsequently,
KNUST improved remarkably and was ranked
30th out of the 100 top Universities in Africa
during the mid-year ranking in 2009.
Following tremendous improvements
Management, staff and students of the
KNUST: Programmes
for Military
KNUST Hosts Former
Heads of State
by
Congratulations
to
the
ViceChancellor, Professor William O.
Ellis, the teaching staff, administrative
and non-administrative staff, and
students of the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology
for contributing in diverse ways,
especially for lifting the image of
the University as Ghana’s number
one institution, recently first in West
Africa.
For further information, please visit:
www.webometrics.info
J. A. Kuffour
presents Awards
Fastest Internet Cafe
in KNUST
KNUST
Develops Microchip
T
he College of Engineering
of the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and
Technology (KNUST) in
collaboration with Texas Instruments
(TI), a computer firm in the United
States, has developed the first set of
microchips in sub-Saharan Africa.
KNUST, The number one University in
Ghana and thirteenth (13th) in Africa is the
first to develop microchips in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Two microchips have been developed
to serve as an instrumentation amplifier
and an energy saver respectively. One
would be useful in taking body signals of
patients, and the other microchip could
serve as an energy saver and also a device
to protect electrical appliances from power
fluctuations. The two types of microchips
have been fabricated, tested and found to
be working well.
Professor S.I.K. Ampadu, the Provost
of the College of Engineering, said the
Microchips were co-produced by students
of the College of Engineering, KNUST
and the team from Texas Instruments
with the help of Dr. Edgar SanchezScnento, a top Mexican scientist in the
field of microchip technology, through a
partnership which started about five years
ago. The two microchips were presented to
the Chancellor, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the
Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II thanked the TI
team for helping the University to achieve
such an enviable feat. He said it was his
dream that KNUST would become a top
university in Africa and beyond. He said
KNUST had the requisite manpower and
brilliant students to excel and to propel the
development of Ghana. However, it lacked
equipment and instruments to facilitate
good teaching and learning.
The Chancellor said it was time to
encourage young ones and to expose them
to such opportunities.
He congratulated the TI team for doing
a good job for KNUST and Ghana as a
whole. He, therefore, pledged his support
for them and looked forward to the
commercialisation of the microchip, where
KNUST would produce and sell to the rest
of the world.
Dr. Art George, the leader of the TI team,
was thankful to the Chancellor and KNUST
for the partnership and the warm reception.
He pledged his outfit’s support to develop
more talents in the College of Engineering
by extending the programme to train more
students. Again, he was grateful that the
University offered the TI delegates the
privilege of being the first to deliver a
public lecture as part of the Lecture series
to commemorate the University’s 60th
Anniversary Celebrations.
TI and KNUST would also like to thank
National Instruments for the support in
getting the chips tested and the donation of
their Elvis and Labviews tools.
KNUST to Run Programmes
for Military Personnel
would be strengthened, and proposed
for the possible absorption of KNUST’s
graduates into the military.
T
he Vice-Chancellor, Professor William Otoo Ellis, has indicated that he
has plans to run academic programmes for the military. He said that such
programmes would be aimed at equipping personnel of the Ghana Armed
Forces (GAF) with relevant skills and knowledge aimed at making them
more resourceful particularly, after leaving the Service.
Professor Ellis made this known when
Brigadier General Richard Kwame OpokuAdusei, the newly appointed General
Officer Commanding (GOC), Northern
Sector of the GAF, paid a courtesy call
on him. The official visit forms part of his
familiarisation tour on assumption of office
as the new GOC.
He noted that the course when commenced
would help military men who retire, as
well as those who leave the service in their
youthful years, to engage in other income
generating activities.
The
Vice-Chancellor
congratulated
Brigadier Gen. Opoku-Adusei on his
appointment as the GOC of the Northern
Sector, including the Ashanti Region. He
stated that over the years, KNUST has
had a good relationship with the security
agencies especially, the Ghana Armed
Forces. This was because the Fourth
Battalion Infantry (4BN) has supported
the University Community in a diverse of
ways including, the training of University
security staff and other security related
areas.
The Vice-Chancellor stated that it had been
his passion for KNUST to partner the GAF
to run short courses and other programmes.
Meanwhile, bilateral discussions are
underway to make the undertaking a
reality.
As part of the collaboration between
KNUST and the Ghana Air Force, an
undergraduate programme in Aerospace
Engineering was introduced in the College
of Engineering.
Professor Ellis was
confident that the existing relationship
For his part, Brigadier General OpokuAdusei was full of praise for the ViceChancellor for maintaining the cordial
relationship that existed between the
two institutions.
Brigadier Opoku-Adusei indicated that
there are new opportunities for serving
personnel in the military. Consequently,
it was important for Staff of the GAF to
develop their skills in order to increase
the manpower capacity in the country. He
emphasised that the future is bright for
young people, and therefore encouraged
military personnel in particular to take
advantage of the KNUST Distance
Learning programmes, among others,
to upgrade themselves in order to
contribute towards the development of
the nation. He, however, called for both
parties to review strategies towards the
realisation of their corporate goals.
Professor Otoo Ellis added that, with
the ever increasing number of students
and that staff exceeding four thousand
(4,000), the surrounding communities as
well as people who had businesses in the
University, the KNUST Police Station
alone could not handle security in the
University Community. He therefore
appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces
particularly, the Northern Command
to dispatch some of its staff to beef up
security and protect members of the
University Community, especially with
the arrival of freshmen and continuing
students on campus to begin the 2011/
2012 academic year.
KNUST Hosts
Three Eminent Heads of State
T
he Former President of Ghana,
JohnAgyekum Kufour together
with two other eminent former
presidents, Thabo Mbeki of
South Africa and Hoerst Kohler, of
the Federal Republic of Germany
paid a visit to KNUST. The Former
Presidents visit formed part of activities
of the John Agyekum Kufour (JAK)
Foundation and the 60th Anniversary
Celebration of the University.
The Former President as Head of the
JAK Foundation, signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with the KNUST. The
MOU was to help in the vision of Former
President Kufour in the establishment of
JAK Library and Museum which aims
to become a Centre of Excellence in
Governance and Leadership.
Professor William Otoo Ellis, the ViceChancellor, stated that the visit was a
special and historical one in the life of
the University and said KNUST was
privileged to host three presidents who
have made enormous contributions in
their respective countries. He further said
it was in line with the University’s 60th
Anniversary Celebrations to remember
the first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah, with respect to the establishment
of a Library and a Museum by the Kufour
Foundation.
President Kufour said his foundation wants
to establish a library, museum and an
Auditorium, the first of its kind in Africa to
help students interact with leaders, and to
promote good governance in Africa and the
rest of the world. He hoped that the centre
when completed, would afford students the
opportunity to interact with leaders from
all over the world.
A sod was cut at the Asuogya Road for
the commencement of the Kuffour Centre
project. As part of the programme, student
leaders of KNUST had the opportunity
to interact with the three former heads of
state and engaged them in a questions and
answers session.
Hoerst Koehler noted that small and
medium enterprises (SME’s) abound in
Germany and accounted for almost 80% of
jobs in his country. He therefore challenged
African countries to pay more attention to
SME’s in order to reduce brain drain and
unemployment. He further challenged
Ghana to transform its resources to provide
services to meet the needs of the people,
and to add value to its products, instead
of exporting raw materials. This he said
would provide employment opportunities
and alleviate poverty by introducing the
prospect of “prosperity for all”.
Thabo Mbeki, in responding to questions,
challenged Ghana to pay more attention to
higher education. He said universities must
come up with excellent ideas to propel
growth. Again, he advised the students to
be guided by the spirit of nationalism and
consciousness to serve their countries with
readiness at all times.
President Kufour stated that as young
Ghanaians they must enlighten themselves
to help the less privileged in society. He
challenged them to give back to society
and to render the necessary support to
less fortunate ones to reduce rural-urban
migration.
J.A. Kuffuor Presents Awards at
Peggy Appiah Prize Ceremony
F
ormer president John Agyekum
Kuffour has stated that it is
time society took a crucial
look at the moral upbringing of
children. President Kuffour said it was
unfortunate that the current generation
is living in an era where only academic
awards or qualifications count with
little or no regard for morality. He made
this known at the 2nd Peggy Appiah
Prize for Excellence in History Awards
ceremony.
He bemoaned the situation where economic
conditions do not allow the average
Ghanaian parent to exercise effective
parenting of their wards.
The former President noted that it was
sad that most mothers have no choice but
to leave their wards in kindergartens and
early childhood centres with people who
have nothing to impart on children to help
their moral upbringing. He continued that
academic achievements without good
moral upbringing are not enough and urged
that society should ensure that humanity is
well groomed.
Former President Kuffour, praised the
Late Peggy Enid Appiah for bringing
her children up properly to understand
that without moral upbringing, a human
being is not a full human being, and that
it is morality that makes a human being.
He praised the late Peggy Appiah for her
selfless contributions to the development
of Arts and Education in Ghana.
President John Agyekum Kuffour advised
the recipients of the award to make
meaningful impact in their societies by
offering help and support to humanity just
like the late Peggy Enid Appiah who had
everything to live for but gave all up to
help Ghana.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor,
Professor R. C. Abaidoo stated that KNUST
is committed to providing world class
education to both local and international
students. He further stated that KNUST
offers holistic training to produce high
calibre of science and technology graduates
who play important roles in national and
international development which cannot
be implemented without the input of social
scientists.
He therefore praised the family of the
late Peggy Enid Appiah for instituting
the award to encourage learning and
research in History. He hoped that the
cordial relationship between the Centre for
Intellectual Renewal and KNUST would
help bring mutual benefits.
The Director of the Centre for Intellectual
Renewal, Ivor Agyemang Duah, said
the Centre was set up in 2006 after the
death of Peggy Enid Appiah to stimulate
learning in the arts and literature. It also
aims at promoting rural development and
addressing cultural issues for national
development.
Miss Amissah Zenabu Bukari and Theresa
Akua Hutchison , who both graduated with
first class honours, were presented with
five hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢500) and
certificates each by the former President
John Agyekum kuffour as the award
package.
For their part, they pledged to give back to
society what they had acquired and gained
from their studies.
Vodafone opens Africa’s
fastest Internet Cafe in KNUST
V
odafone,
a
world-wide telecommunications
c o m p a n y
operating in Ghana, has
established Africa’s fastest
internet café in the Kwame
Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology.
According to experts, it is also
the biggest on the continent of
Africa to be built by Vodafone.
The KNUST Vodafone Cafe comprises a
library, a discussion area, the cafe itself
and other ancillary areas. The opening
of the Vodafone Café was witnessed by
Senior Management Members and staff
of Vodafone, the Vice-Chancellor, Pro
Vice-Chancellor, Staff and students of the
University.
The plans for establishment of the Vodafone
Internet Cafe dates back to September
2010, when an official Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) was signed
between the two partners. As agreed in the
MOU, Vodafone was to guide the partners
for the establishment and management
of an internet café at the College of
Engineering.
Again, by the MOU, ten (10) percent of all
returns made by Vodafone would go to the
University.
Kyle Whitehill, Chief Executive Officer,
said he believed that education was
something to invest in and that explains
the reason Vodafone partnered KNUST in
diverse ways to encourage and to facilitate
learning. He said that Ghana Telecom
currently has about four million customers
compared to the one million customers that
it previously had under Ghana Telecom. He
said Vodafone believed in providing equal
opportunity for all and his outfit believed
that Ghanaian women should flourish. As
a result twenty four percent of their staff
are women.
Again, six out of the twelve members of
top management representing fifty percent
are women. He said only nine percent of
females are technical staff, that is why
Vodafone is encouraging women to pursue
technical courses.
Manageress of Vodafone Ghana, stated
that Vodafone in its attempt to encourage
women to pursue technical courses
provided six thousand (6,000) Ghana
cedis to the best graduating female
student in the College of Engineering
at KNUST’s 45th Congregation held in
June this year.
Again, the top ten post-third year female
students in Electrical and Computer
Engineering were awarded with a cash
prize of nine hundred (900) Ghana
Cedis, and would be given opportunity
to have internship, national service and
permanent employment at Vodafone.
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor
William Otoo Ellis said education is a key
to every knowledge economy and offered
the best prospect to compete effectively in
the globalised world. He further stated that
there is the need for educated labour force
in order to have the capacity to create,
share and use knowledge in an effort to
advance the socio-economic development
of the country, because knowledge and
human capital are important for successful
economies.
According to the Vice-Chancellor,
Information Communication Technology
(ICT) has assumed centre stage in the
operations and management of tertiary
education fro the delivery of quality
education. He said as a result of certain
constraints on the University, it continually
partners with industry and praised Vodafone
for helping the University through ICT to
enhance teaching, research and community
engagement.
Stella Nkansah Appiah, Human Resource
Publisher: University Relations Office
KNUST, Kumasi