The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has inducted the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Christian Agyare, as Chair of the University’s Technology and Consultancy Centre.

The induction took place during a courtesy call by Prof. Agyare on the Education Minister in Accra, where they discussed key priorities for the development of the university.

The discussions focused on science and technology education, research, student accommodation and infrastructure development.

Mr Iddrisu congratulated Prof. Agyare on his appointment and assured him of government’s support as he begins his tenure.

He said government, through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), would support the completion of the KNUST Teaching Hospital.

According to the Minister, the facility would strengthen teaching and learning, particularly in health-related disciplines, while also providing healthcare services to residents in surrounding communities.

Mr Iddrisu further urged KNUST to place greater emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to produce more graduates with skills relevant to the changing demands of the Ghanaian economy.

He also called on the new Vice Chancellor to strengthen collaboration with private hostel operators to help provide affordable accommodation for students.

In response, Prof. Agyare assured the Ministry of his commitment to advancing KNUST’s mandate and working closely with government and other stakeholders.

He said the university was already taking steps to strengthen its focus on science by directing more resources towards the re-equipping and retooling of laboratories.

Prof. Agyare added that KNUST was strengthening its academic programmes and research in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Artificial Intelligence (AI), emerging technologies and other areas considered critical to the needs of the new generation.

On student accommodation, he said the university was engaging private hostel owners to explore ways of making accommodation more affordable for students.

Prof. Agyare further pledged to deepen stakeholder engagement during his tenure, stressing that collaboration would be essential to advancing the university’s academic, research and development objectives.