The newly reconstituted governing council for the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was on Friday inaugurated, with a call on members to guard against ‘mission drift’ of the institution.
The 14-member council is chaired by the Omanhene of the Bompata Traditional Area, Nana Effah Appenteng.
Others members are: Professor Mrs Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Mr K.A Karikari, Dr Abena Oforiwaa Ampomah and Dr Ernest Owusu Dapaa, government nominees, Professor Rexford Assassie Oppong and Dr Abdul Samed Muntaka, representing convocation, professorial and non-professorial groups, respectively.
The rest are; Prof. Addai-Mensah, University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Mr Samuel Kwaku Entsi Sesah, Students Representative Council (SRC), Ms Justina Sarfowaa Fosu, Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), Mark Kakraba-Ampeh, Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC), Alhaji Yakub Ahmed Bin Abubakar, Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools ( CHASS), and Dr Kwaku Agbesi, alumni.
Inaugurating the council, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said beyond the mandate of the board on finance and management, it must take a unique interest in the curriculum of the school.
This, he explained was because the future of the nation depended on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,(STEM) which the KNUST was famous for.
“You were established so that your graduates will improve capacity of our nation’s ability to innovate itself and transform the fortunes of everyone. At such a university, I expect you to seriously address any issue of mission drift. If you happen to see that your university is offering more courses in social sciences than STEM, then you need to look at it,”the minister noted.
Dr Adutwum asked the KNUST to take charge of STEM, drive innovation in the country and lead the fourth industrial revolution, saying “the nation is looking at you to lead the transformation agenda.”
The chairman of the board expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the trust reposed in the council, and pledged that members would work up to their expectations.
Nana Appenteng said that the board had recognised human resource as the greatest wealth of any country and education was a facilitator.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
