The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has launched its 2025 E-Learning Week with a call to reimagine education in support of Ghana’s emerging 24-hour economy.

Themed “Transforming Education through Responsible Innovation and Inclusion in the Digital Era,” the week-long event aims to position digital learning as a critical tool in building a workforce ready for round-the-clock productivity.

Keynote speaker, Dan Faahene Acquaye, E-Learning Ambassador and CEO of Agri-Impact Limited, emphasized that KNUST’s E-Learning Centre offers a real opportunity to operationalize Ghana’s 24-hour economy, particularly in the digital services sector.

“We have had extensive discussions about the 24 hour economy and I kept telling them that the e-learning centre of KNUST, is the greatest platform that they can use to launch a 24-hour economy for the digital services,” he said, pointing to KNUST as a model for other institutions.

Speaking at the launch, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson said the university is committed to using innovation responsibly to expand access.

“This year’s theme is a call to action. As we witness the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence, immersive technologies, and big data shaping teaching and learning, our responsibility is to ensure these tools become instruments of equity, accessibility, and empowerment,” she said.

A major highlight of the day was the commissioning of a Drone Innovation and Simulation Unit.

The facility features a virtual training system, showroom, and research space, with 11 different drones designed for agriculture, surveillance, data sourcing, and remote exploration, among others.

Director of the E-Learning Centre, Prof. Eric Asante, announced that training programs will soon be opened to the public through an online booking system, another step toward making education continuous and accessible beyond the traditional classroom.

“We have a platform we will be launching very soon which will allow people to pre-book and come do this training. And that will be the initial point of accessibility. There’s also going to be some calls. We will call for training so people can sign up,” he explained.