Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso
THE VICE Chancellor
of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor
Kwasi Obiri-Danso, has committed the university to absorb a chunk of the first
batch of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) students in the next academic
year.
With the
establishment of KNUST Obuasi campus, he believes the university now has the
capacity to contribute to the President’s vision of expanding access to
education in Ghana through the implementation of the “bold Free SHS policy”.
Addressing 343 matriculates for the newly created campus on Friday, Prof. Obiri-Danso thanked President Akufo-Addo for magnanimously agreeing to the establishment of the KNUST Obuasi campus. He assured him of the university’s commitment to support the Free SHS policy.
“The university welcomed
the good news when it (the idea) was mooted since it was in line with our
strategic plan to increase access to science and technology education in the
country,” he stated.
“I wish to extend my
deepest appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for believing in us and making the
choice to give us this beautiful and serene environment for the start of this
university in spite of the stiff opposition from other universities,” he added.
Prof. Obiri-Danso
said he was sure that the Chancellor of the university, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II,
the Asantehene, would also be happy that they had been able to fulfill his
dream of a university campus in Obuasi which would certainly revive once again
economic activities in the Obuasi town.
According to him, a
total of 56,548 candidates applied for admission to the university of which
43,877 met admission requirement, but KNUST was able to register 22,011
students made up of 13,189 males and 8,822 females.
This, he indicated,
had shot up the female population of the institution which is about 40.1 per cent.
For the admission to
KNUST Obuasi campus, he said the numbers were very encouraging since it was the
first admission exercise on the new campus which registered 343 students with
238 of them being males and 105 females.
“It is our hope that
our numbers will increase in subsequent years because of the publicity,” he
noted and added that programmes on offer at the campus were BSc Civil Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Geological Engineering,
Geomantic Engineering, Environmental Science and Business Administration
(Logistics and Supply Chain Management).
The Managing Director
of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), Eric Asubonteng, who graced the ceremony, told the
media that the company was excited about the commencement of the university
campus.
According to him, the
presence of the university campus would help diversify the local economy of
Obuasi and the Adansi state in general.
He said the
university would again offer the company the technical skills required for its
operations as the focus of programmes is engineering.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Obuasi
