Published: 11 Jul 2017 Source: University Relations Office (URO)
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Chancellor, KNUST
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has advocated a review of the law recently passed by parliament that mandates universities to remit 34 per cent of their internally-generated funds to government for the sake of the future of universities.
“I would wish that Parliament reconsiders and reviews that law for the sake of the future of our universities”, he noted, and pointed out that the nation should brainstorm to find a more sustainable funding regime for universities.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, expressed concern at how the majority of universities were finding it difficult to properly execute their core mandate of teaching, research and community service given insufficient and irregular government subvention.
He was addressing the tenth session of the 51st congregation of the University, Kumasi, on Saturday, and a total of 922 students graduated from the KNUST School of Graduate Studies.
39 out of the number graduated with PHDs, and this brings to 9, 160 the overall number of students who graduated from the six colleges of the University this year. The 2016/2017 academic year alone saw a total of 83 doctors graduating.
The Chancellor also used the occasion to appeal to government to consider as a matter of urgency the university’s appeal to recruit staff in order to prevent a situation where improperly trained graduates would be produced for the job market to the detriment of society.
KNUST, the premier science and technology university in the country, had since 1964 when it started awarding degrees, worked assiduously to produce the critical human resource to spearhead development of the nation in varied fields of endeavour.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu, highlighting on the KNUST Teaching Hospital project, said work on the facility had delayed unduly, and appealed to the government to initiate moves for its successful completion.
The facility, expected to augment medical research and education in general, had stalled for the last decade, a situation which had compelled medical students to rely on facilities at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for their practical work.
Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, Minister of Education, in a speech read on his behalf, lauded the University for living up to its core mandate in addressing the science and technology needs of the nation. He noted that adequate funding has been a challenge to successive governments and government has instituted a fund to support research in higher education.
The Honourable minister revealed that over 250 million cedis representing 32.3 percent of GETFUND earmarked for research will support tertiary education and the KNUST Teaching Hospital.
Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Vice-Chancellor, KNUST
Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, Vice-Chancellor, announced that female enrolment for the 2016/2017 academic year increased by 26 per cent. This was in consonance with his decision to encourage more females to pursue higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Professor Obiri-Danso advised the graduands to be bold in taking decisions concerning their life. “If they call it pride, tell them it’s class” and avoid negative people he added.