Education

KNUST hosts ‘Cygnus Engineering Camp’ to harness students’ potentials

A four-day seminar, designed to unlock the creative and critical thinking abilities of senior high school (SHS) students, has opened at the College of Engineering (CoE) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi.

Dubbed ‘Cygnus Engineering Camp’, the workshop organised by the CoE, is being attended by a total of 300 students, comprising 260 females and 40 males, from more than 20 schools across the country.

Vodafone Ghana, a telecommunications company, is partnering to host the event, as part of its corporate social responsibilities.

It is the second in the series of events to hunt for potential engineering scientists for the nation.

“We are of the firm belief that the best way to harness talent, innovation and creativity is at the early stage of a person’s development,” Professor Mark Adom-Asamoah, Provost of the KNUST College of Engineering (CoE), said in his opening remarks.

He indicated that the CoE recognised that one of the key factors, which could transform the nation’s economy was the transition from a service-based economy to one driven by industrialisation.

“The industrial revolution would depend on scientists and engineers who have a firm grasp of both the theory and practice of engineering,” the Provost explained.

The college has, therefore, taken upon itself to bring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education closer to the various senior high schools.

Prof Adom-Asamoah pointed out that this was being done by creating avenues through which prospective students of the university and the college could get immersed in the practice of engineering even before they enrolled as first year students.

This year’s Camp, he noted, had the main objective of promoting the understanding of engineering concepts and designs, generating interest in engineering through fun and innovative projects.

It had also been structured to promote awareness on the important role engineering played in the nation’s development.

Mr Ebenezer Amankwah, Corporate Relations Manager, Vodafone Ghana, lauded the CoE for its deliberate efforts to get more females into STEM education.

Since 2016, for instance, the population of women in engineering at KNUST has shot up from 610 to 1,100.

Mr Amankwah advised the participants to take keen interest in the topics that would be discussed at the camp.-GNA     

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