By
Nana Osei Kyeretwie, GNA
Sunyani, Dec. 12,
GNA – The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) and Tomsk
Polytechnic University (TPU) of Russia has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) to build the capacity of UENR for the development of nuclear energy.
Professor Harrison
Kwame Dapaah, the Vice-Chancellor of UENR and Prof Oleg Dolmatov, the Director
of Engineering, School of Nuclear Technology- TPU, signed for their respective
institutions at a short but impressive ceremony at the UENR campus in Sunyani.
In a broader sense,
it is a cross university collaboration towards the development of a critical
mass of knowledge in various areas including Education, Training and Research
in Nuclear Science, Technology and Engineering at the UENR.
Besides UENR, the
Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST) are other Ghanaian institutions in the
collaboration.
Prof Dapaah lauded
the timeliness of the cooperation adding that there is the need for the
University to develop all sources of energy for the development of the country.
He said one critical
source in terms of development is that of nuclear energy which could be used in
diverse areas such as power generation, agriculture and health.
The VC said the
collaboration was designed to among others to educate and train Ghanaians,
especially the University’s under-graduate and post-graduate students to become
experts in nuclear energy production, so that Ghana would not have to depend on
other countries for energy.
Prof Dapaah said
there is a commitment as a government policy to develop nuclear power to
engineer holistic national development and expressed the hope that through the
collaboration the Ghanaian capacity in nuclear science and technology would be
built.
Prof Dolmatov, the
leader of a three-member Russian delegation for the ceremony, said the
collaboration would have a far-reaching positive impact since it was not only
essential for energy development but a wide range of sectors including
medicine.
Other members of the
Russian delegation were Dr Vera Verhoturova, Director of Master’s Degree
programme for Nuclear Science and Technology, TPU; and Dr Pavel V. Zhuravlev,
Vice-Rector and Director of the International Business Development Department,
Rosatom Technical Academy, Russia; as well as Dr Vincent Agbodemegde, a
Ghanaian Senior Research Scientist at the GAEC.
GNA
