The College of Engineering, KNUST, has been challenged to take a continental lead in harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive innovation, national development, and global competitiveness. The call was made by the Chairman of the University’s Governing Council, Akyamfour Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, during a meeting with the College Board.
Akyamfour Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, Chairman of the Governing Council.
Akyamfour Agyemang-Bonsu emphasised that AI must be integrated across all engineering disciplines, stating, “Every part of Engineering has no excuse but to embrace AI.” He highlighted AI’s potential for technological advancement and its role as a revenue-generating tool for the university. Among his key proposals was the development of AI-driven solutions, such as systems capable of transcribing local language speeches and documents into English. This innovation could enhance access to justice and education.
He urged the College to strengthen partnerships with industry and other academic institutions to accelerate progress, stressing that “Engineering is the basis for development. Let’s create the enabling environment. Our thinking must be unconstrained.”
The Council Chair commended the College for its collaborative initiatives and warned against working in isolation. “That mindset of working in silos will not yield good outcomes for the country. Once collaboration thrives, we’re certainly on the right path,” he noted.
Additionally, he called for leadership in developing legal frameworks and policies to support green technology innovations.
Akyamfour Agyemang-Bonsu urged the College to focus on producing job-ready graduates and faculty whose research translates into real-world solutions. “Your research must go beyond promotion. It must drive solutions for real-world challenges,” he emphasised.
Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice-Chancellor
Echoing this sentiment, Vice-Chancellor Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson reinforced her “One Department, One Start-Up” initiative, calling for a renewed entrepreneurial spirit to equip students with market-ready skills. “We must consciously work on this. It’s a global challenge, but we are feeling it acutely because of the many students we produce,” she said.
Professor Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko, Provost of the College of Engineering
Provost of the College, Professor Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko, outlined ongoing achievements and plans, including key initiatives from the Brew-Hammond Energy Centre and the Engineering Innovation Centre. He highlighted infrastructure, ICT, and advancements in external partnerships, noting that the college is revising its strategic priorities to align with emerging global and national challenges.
“We are revising our strategic plan to ensure it reflects global trends and national priorities,” he stated. He also supported the Council Chair’s AI vision, proposing a university-wide AI strategy where all academic programmes incorporate AI components.
Overview of meeting
The visit concluded with a tour of the Engineering Innovation Centre, where the Council Chair inspected cutting-edge projects underway, reaffirming the College’s commitment to pioneering solutions for Ghana and beyond.
