By Stephen Asante/Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Kumasi, Aug. 01, GNA - The College of Engineering of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is in talks with the Ministry of Education to support it with the requisite engineering equipment to improve its laboratories infrastructure and bring them to international standard.
Currently, equipment at the College’s laboratories only caters for about 25 per cent of its practical needs, and the authorities have scaled up engagement with the public and private sector to improve the situation.
The electrical and electronic, telecommunication, computer, biomedical, materials, as well as dynamics and environmental engineering laboratories were all being given the needed attention to facilitate hands-on training of students.
Professor Mark Adom-Asamoah, Provost of the College, said recognizing the significant role laboratories played in developing the needed man-power for industry, they had invested about 5.6 million Euros to help re-tool those facilities.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, on the side-lines of the inauguration of some new laboratory equipment, Prof. Adom-Asamoah said the vision was to become one of the top ten engineering universities in Africa by 2025 and a ‘Centre of Excellence in Engineering Education in Africa’.
The items are meant to deepen the understanding of academic programmes encompassing applied sciences, thermofluid, soil, aerodynamics and fluids, structure and strength of materials.
The College had over five decades now been at the forefront of providing the engineering human resource needs for the nation and many sub-Saharan African countries.
At this year’s 52nd congregation ceremony of the KNUST, it swept the two top most awards, including the Overall Best Graduating Student, which was claimed by Mr. Blessed Charles Amankwah-Amoah, who studied Petroleum Engineering, won with a Cumulative Weight Average (CWA) of 82.41.
Ms. Constance Akossiwa Efio-Akolly, of the Department of Civil Engineering and with a CWA of 82.39, emerged as the Second Best Overall Graduating Student.
Prof Adom-Asamoah said the College was grateful to the Volta River Authority (VRA), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and GRIDCo for providing sponsorship for the re-roofing of the existing laboratory and workshop building of the College to the tune of GH¢450,000.00.
The gesture, he said, was critical to putting those structures into shape to enhance research, teaching and learning, adding that the three companies had been instrumental in the practical training of engineering students by way of internships.
About 90 per cent of the technical workforce of the three companies received their education at the KNUST.
The Provost disclosed that the World Bank had also made huge investment in the area of the provision of ultra-modern engineering equipment for the petroleum and chemical engineering laboratories of the College.
GNA
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