KNUST graduate students hold annual conference

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has held its 8th Annual International Research Conference.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Joseph Antwi Baafi, Chairman of the conference, advised researchers in the country to take advantage of international conferences to present their works and seek support to realise their dreams.

He said since most of these researches required huge financial support to implement them, the best way to seek support was to attend many international research conferences.

Governmental support

He said the lack of governmental support and inadequate funding for research programmes had made it difficult for researchers to implement their works for the benefit of society.

According to him, even though graduate students had come out with researches that had solutions to some of the problems facing society, most of these research findings had not been actualised as a result of lack of funding.

Mr Baafi, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic at this year’s International Research Conference at KNUST, asked his fellow researchers not to relent in their efforts but to take advantage of international conferences where they could present papers on their works, “who knows, you might get a financier at one of them.”

He said the conference formed part of the activities of GRASAG aimed at giving the students a platform to present their research works.

This year’s conference was on the theme: ‘The search for sustainable development: The graduate students’ role.’

Rev. Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Protestant Chaplain of KNUST, asked the students to be guided by the needs of society in their research and to come up with innovations that would meet those needs.

Advice to students

He advised the students to let their relevance be seen in society through their research activities.

Rev. Dr Boafo urged the students not to let their research works be just an academic exercise; they should try and polish their works and have them adopted by society even after school.

In all, 30 students - from Master’s to PhD levels - from all the departments of the university took part in the conference.