The FEF-AI4SD Conference has brought together leading voices in artificial intelligence from Ghana, France, and around the world to focus on leveraging AI for sustainable development. The conference also marked the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and DATAIA at Université Paris-Saclay (UPS).
The MoU establishes a framework for targeted partnership in artificial intelligence, demonstrating institutional commitment from both sides to cooperate on shared mutual interests, including data science and artificial intelligence, responsible and ethical AI, education and training at the undergraduate and graduate levels, joint research and innovation, joint supervision of students, exchange of students and staff, and development of intellectual property, public as well as AI-related science communication and societal impact, especially in Africa and Europe.
The MoU was signed by H.E. Mavis Ama Frimpong, Ambassador of Ghana to France, Prof. Frédéric Pascal, Director of DataiA Institute and Vice President at Université Paris-Saclay, and Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Project Lead for the AI4SD project at KNUST and Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of RAIL.
This partnership represents a significant step forward in international collaboration on responsible AI development, creating pathways for knowledge exchange, joint research, and capacity building between Ghana and France.
H.E. Mavis Ama Frimpong, Ambassador of Ghana to France, acknowledged all partners for their unwavering support and commitment to the initiative.
“We are gathered here today at a pivotal moment in history where technology drives the key parameters of development. Ghana is no longer just adopting technology but actively building an indigenous ecosystem of innovation needed to support the pace of our development,” she said.
She referenced the “reset agenda,” emphasizing that Ghana’s AI ecosystem is “not an imitation of a foreign framework but a vibrant homegrown movement driven by the brilliant minds of young people, researchers, and entrepreneurs.”
“The technological transformation is being led at the highest level by H.E John Dramani Mahama and anchored by the Ghana AI Strategy.” She added that Ghana views AI as a powerful tool to accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
H.E. Mavis Ama Frimpong commended RAIL at KNUST for its deep commitment to creating ethical, context-appropriate AI solutions for the African environment, ensuring that AI models are fair, transparent, and built to solve pressing challenges.
Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Project Lead for the AI4SD project at KNUST and Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL), said the project’s impact is recognized, and it would be a shame not to continue the initiative. He mentioned that the conference offers an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far and deliberate on how we can collaborate to ensure sustainability in this transformative initiative.
Prof. Kponyo announced the launch of the Ghana AI Strategy, which opens another phase of greater collaboration for implementing the strategy. The strategy outlines priority areas including AI in agriculture, health, education, startups and innovation, and inclusivity for persons with disabilities, all themes central to the AI4SD initiative.
“I dream of French companies collaborating with Ghanaian companies to create wealth together, students collaborating across borders to solve industry problems, and researchers collaborating to solve global challenges,” he declared.
He outlined RAIL’s four main pillars of work: research and development, capacity building, policy influence, and stakeholder engagement. He also mentioned the FACETS framework and RAIL’s technical role in the UNESCO RAM assessment and the Ghana AI Strategy, reaffirming RAIL’s commitment to ensuring initiatives like this continue and do not end abruptly.
Prof. Frédéric Pascal, Vice President at Université Paris-Saclay and Director of the DATAiA Institute. expressed his gratitude to the institutional partners who made the gathering possible, specifically the French Embassy in Ghana and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
“I am delighted to see that this preparation between the Ghanaian and French ecosystems has reached this new milestone,” Prof. Pascal said. “We have begun a long-term scientific relationship. At DATAIA, we believe that only through bilateral cooperation can AI models be developed.”
He underscored Ghana’s unique position in Africa’s AI landscape:
“Ghana has been identified as the priority nation for AI preparation in Africa. The ecosystem is recognized as the most vibrant on the continent; Université Paris-Saclay and the DATAIA Institute are fully committed to the Africa Forward Initiative.”
Prof. Pascal emphasized that the partnership is evolving beyond traditional academic research and training.
“We are moving beyond academic research and training to a model of an integrated cluster capable of creating direct economic impact in innovation on both sides. Today, we celebrate the signing of a strategic MoU with RAIL KNUST.”
Mr. Thomas Dumont, Representative of the Direction générale de la mondialisation (DGM) at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, expressed France’s commitment to the initiative.
“We understand that AI is becoming a chief driver of development and growth,” Mr. Dumont stated. “Beyond the financial contribution of the FEF-AI4SD program, it provides the framework for projects that deliver solutions for healthcare and agriculture. We are pleased to have supported this initiative, and we thank all those who made it possible.”
Prof. Guillaume Van Der Rest, Director of the Institut de Chimie Physique, provided a brief overview of the institute’s work, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration in advancing scientific research.
The conference received strong institutional backing from French partners, with addresses from Ms. Clarisse Munier, Adjointe au DEI, Responsable du secteur Afrique, Moyen-Orient, Inde, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Prof. Frédéric Pascal, Vice President AI at Université Paris-Saclay and Director of DataIA Institute, Ms. Fiona Gerente, Head of International Partnerships Manager (Europe, Africa, Near & Middle East, Gulf States), Université Paris-Saclay
Mr. Alexandre Mirlesse, AI Special Envoy of the French President for the Africa Forward Summit, emphasized the need to diversify partnerships.
Dr. Daniel Adjei, FEF-AI4SD Project Lead at the Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, outlined the conference activities and acknowledged the steering committee’s contributions to making the event possible.
