KNUST to establish endowment fund to support research
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is set to establish an endowment fund to support research work in the university.
Christened “Innovation Mutual Fund”, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Akyamfuor Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, said the move formed part of the 10-year strategic vision of the institution spanning 2026-2036.
“It is our mission to use this vehicle for bridging the gap between brilliant research and real-world impact,” he explained.
Homecoming
Mr Agyemang-Bonsu was addressing the maiden homecoming ceremony of the university’s alumni, which was held at the Great Hall.
The three-day event dubbed “TEK Alumni Homecoming 2025” was on the theme “Celebrating our legacy; building our future”.
The event brought together members of various groups who interacted with the current students, ostensibly to share their success stories with them, and also allowed the alumni to discuss how they can contribute to the growth of their alma mater.
He said, “This endowment fund is being designed to support high-risk and high-reward research and innovation that addresses the most pressing challenges facing Ghana and Africa,” adding “it is our collective investment in a future where KNUST-led solutions transform lives and economies”.
Partnership
Mr Agyemang-Bonsu stated that the university envisioned a situation where the alumni would partner faculty to commercialise breakthrough technologies, thereby creating the next generation of global companies, while solving problems from healthcare to climate change.
Citing the Cambridge University as an example, the council chairman said their model demonstrated how KNUST alumni could follow the example of Cambridge’s alumni, who championed programmes that generated €1.3 billion annually in start-up funding.
Similarly, he mentioned that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) 30,200 alumni companies employ 4.6 million people, creating $1.9 trillion in economic value. He urged the KNUST alumni to come together to help in that regard.
“Not just your financial investment that we need, though that matters deeply.
We also need your experience, networks, entrepreneurial spirit and loyalty,” he told the university alumni.
Stronger collaboration
Delivering the keynote address on the theme, “harnessing alumni networks for institutional growth,” an alumnus and former Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Gas Company Limited, Dr Ben Asante, called for stronger collaboration towards bridging the gap between industry and academia.
He said, “I believe that industry and academia need to harmonise their corporate goals as much as possible for the ultimate good of society,” stressing that although corporations and educational institutions had different objectives, they needed to work together for mutual benefit.
More important, he advocated longer internships for students for at least one-year, as it would be more meaningful for them, adding, “it should be made part of the curriculum so that students can learn more during internships before completing their respective courses”.
Problem-solvers
The Vice Chancellor, KNUST, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, commended the alumni of the university working in the various sectors for solving real problems in Ghana and globally.
She expressed gratitude for their commitment, along with a strengthened alumni-university collaboration.
She stated that a partnership with the alumni was essential for improving students' training, increasing industry research uptake, and boosting the commercialisation of the university’s innovations.
Prof. Dickson said, “The role of alumni, I believe, in institutions across the globe cannot be overemphasised. Let us build a legacy that will inspire generations and keep our noble institution rooted in its mission and purpose”.
In a remark, the Global KNUST Alumni President, Dr Herman Yobo Addae, urged the alumni to improve networking among them and support one another to come back to contribute to the growth of their former school.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.
