Assist KNUST Expand Infrastructure – Asantehene

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has called for the increased allocation of resources towards the expansion of infrastructure at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

This, he said, was necessary to enable the University admit and train more students in the areas of science and technology to drive the nation’s development.

The Asantehene, who is the Chancellor of KNUST, was speaking at its 52nd congregation in Kumasi.

The University has been struggling with inadequate infrastructure and he warned that things could get worse with the introduction of the fee-free senior high school policy.

More students are expected to apply for admission to pursue various programmes and without corresponding increase in facilities, there are going to be real problems.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu made reference the Unity Hall, and said it was the only major students’ residential facility built by the state and that was as far back as 1967.

“Any additional residential spaces you see on campus have come through private funding.

This has resulted in the rather unpleasant, yet pragmatic on-campus student accommodation policy where only first year students are provided with accommodation in the traditional halls of residence”, he added.

The Asantehene touched on the teaching staff situation and expressed upset with the lack of the requisite number of faculty members for effective teaching and research.

“Our faculty is ageing, but the student-teacher ratio is out of proportion. Given our circumstances, to have a teacher-student ratio of close to 50:1 does not bode well at all for a research institution like the KNUST.”

Things were not any better when it came to the administrative and support staff.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu urged the government to act quickly to deal with the problem.

Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, announced that a total number of 6,528 students, made up of 5,848 undergraduates and 680 post-graduates were presented for certificates by all the six Colleges in this year’s congregation.

Sixty-one (61) out of the graduating students received Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Six hundred and fifty-one (651) of the graduates had first class

The Vice-Chancellor spoke of various research activities and innovative programmes by the University to address the socio-economic and technological needs of the country.

These were being advanced to create wealth, alleviate poverty and also enhance the overall living conditions of the people.

Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, Minister of Education, applauded the University for living up to its mandate, and advised the graduating students to put into practice the knowledge acquired for the benefit of the society.

Source: GNA