KNUST, Google Strengthen Partnership to Promote AI Integration in Teaching and Learning

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), has strengthened its collaboration with Google to promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching, learning, research and administrative services.

The partnership provides staff and students with access to 95,000 licenses for Google’s AI tools, including Gemini and NotebookLM, alongside professional development opportunities designed to build AI competencies across the University.

Speaking during a courtesy call Mr. Emmanuel Adeniyi (Ade), Higher Education Lead, West & Central Africa, Google for Education, said the collaboration aimed to help African universities adopt AI safely while ensuring equitable access to the technology.

“Beyond making the technology available, we also came to provide training,” he said, emphasizing the importance of equipping university communities with the knowledge to use AI responsibly.

He explained that Google was working with selected African institutions, including KNUST, to develop successful models for AI integration that priorities data protection, cybersecurity and ethical use.

Mr. Adeniyi noted that the provision of Gemini for Education offered additional safeguards for university data, explaining that information generated through the platform would remain within the institution’s protected environment and would not be used by Google to train its AI models.

He added that the initiative would help address inequalities in access to advanced AI tools, ensuring that students and staff could benefit from the technology regardless of their financial circumstances.

As part of the capacity-building initiative, Google is also offering professional courses in AI, including specialized training for faculty members on using Gemini for research, teaching, learning and assessment. The programme also includes courses for administrative staff and opportunities to develop students’ employability skills, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The Head of the KNUST E-Learning Centre, Professor Emmanuel Kofi Akowuah, disclosed that Google had approved 500 places for professional AI courses, which would become available to new participants as enrolled learners completed their training.

He explained that the University was adopting a train-the-trainer and ambassador model to expand AI knowledge among its community, beginning with staff training before extending the initiative to students.

“Our long-term vision is to make KNUST a leading hub for AI capacity building in the sub-region,” he said, adding that the initiative aligned with the University’s strategic ambition of moving from excellence to eminence.

Professor Akowuah further indicated that discussions were ongoing to explore additional areas of collaboration, including cloud-based research tools and further professional development opportunities.

Professor Christian Agyare, Vice-Chancellor, welcomed the collaboration, noting that AI integration was central to the University’s mission as a science and technology institution.

He said KNUST was committed to promoting the ethical use of AI among staff and students while maximizing its benefits across academic and administrative operations.

“It’s part of my mission to make sure that we integrate AI into whatever we are doing,” he stated.

He called for closer coordination between Google and the University’s AI experts, particularly those contributing to the development of Ghana’s national AI strategy, to ensure that the partnership supports both institutional and national development.

Professor Agyare also proposed formalizing the collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which would establish clear responsibilities, support structured training and provide a framework for monitoring and evaluating progress.

The Dean of the International Programmes Office, Professor Edmund Ekuadzi, explained that the engagement followed earlier discussions between KNUST and Google on securing support for AI services to enhance teaching and learning. It also built on an online training session held in September, with the current visit providing an opportunity for face-to-face engagement with staff and students.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen AI adoption at KNUST, improve digital competencies and position the University to contribute to the responsible application of emerging technologies in Ghana and across the sub-region.