Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Prof. Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, has reaffirmed the university’s commitment to impactful community engagement through the “One College, One Community” (1C1C) initiative.

Speaking at the University Management Retreat at the Nyansapo Eco Resort in Moree, Central Region, under the theme “Leading KNUST in the Digital Age: The Way Forward”, she explained that under the programme, each college will annually engage a surrounding community to help address societal challenges through research and outreach.

Prof. Mrs. Dickson said the initiative is designed to strengthen KNUST’s partnerships while deepening the university’s relevance to society.

“We must continue to engage with our communities to help solve societal problems through research, while maintaining our global networks and international standing,” she noted.

She added that by pairing academic resources with community needs, KNUST seeks to deliver practical, research-driven solutions that align with Ghana’s development priorities and the university’s vision of societal impact.

The Vice-Chancellor also urged the university community to consolidate the gains made in recent years and complete outstanding initiatives in the months ahead. “Quality continuous improvement must remain the driving force,” she said, as KNUST works to sustain and enhance its academic reputation through rigorous programmes, faculty development, research initiatives, robust e-infrastructure, and strengthened global outreach.

She highlighted several priority areas for attention. On human capital development, she encouraged colleges and units to leverage international capacity-building programmes as training-of-trainers platforms to equip more staff.

On research and innovation, she urged each college to work with industry partners on at least two prototypes for uptake.

Prof. Mrs. Dickson further underscored digitisation as a driver of efficiency, citing ongoing efforts to develop management systems for offices such as the Registrar, Transport, Estate, IDL, e-Learning, and Receivables.

Enhancing system security and applying artificial intelligence in teaching, learning, research, and administration, she said, would further boost KNUST’s global competitiveness.

On entrepreneurship, the Vice-Chancellor called for more robust career-ready programmes, including the consideration of a one-credit-hour entrepreneurship course for all students.

She also advocated for deepened internship opportunities, a strengthened Career Services Centre, and flagship events such as KNUST Entrepreneurship Day and TRAKTEK.

Prof. Mrs. Dickson expressed appreciation to management, faculty, staff, and students for their dedication and teamwork, which she said have shaped the university’s growth trajectory and raised its international profile.