The Vice Chancellor of the Kumasi-based Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has revealed that his University is fully ready to mentor The Gambia Technical Institute (GTTI) on BSc Engineering Programmes.
Professor Obiri Danso made this revelation recently during a day-long stakeholders meeting on how to mentor GTTI into BSc Engineering Degree Programmes under the World Bank’s ACE Project. This was held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. The synergy involved the World Bank, public policy makers, academia and industry. The undergraduate degree programme at GTTI entails four engineering areas of study; namely civil, electrical, mechanical and geometric engineering.
Having revealed that the university is one of the 14 best universities in West Africa, the Vice Chancellor said KNUST will mentor GTTI for a period of five years. “We want GTTI to be one of the best technical universities in West Africa and even beyond. We will bring all our qualified engineers to come and teach at GTTI so that it can serve as the best university in the region,” Professor Danso promised.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Badara Joof, the Permanent Secretary (PS) at the said Ministry, Abdoulie T. B. Jarra explained that the BSc Engineering programmes were the key disciplines jointly identified under the World Bank’s ACE project which started three years ago. He said both GTTI and KNUST are beneficiaries of the project as Emerging Centres of Excellence in STEM Education.
The teaching faculty in these degree programmes, he went on, will come mainly from KNUST while Gambian lecturers from both Industry and GTTI will also understudy their Ghanaian colleagues during this period.
PS Jarra explained that these KNUST mentorship programmes are not meant to replace the current TVET programmes at GTTI but that they were mooted to compliment and consolidate the existing TVET courses being conducted by GTTI.