Higher education should be problem-solving – Asantehene

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has climaxed the commemoration of its 60 years anniversary with a special congregation of 1,084 graduates, including those of the School of Graduate Studies.

Sixteen out of the graduands passed out with Doctor of Philosophy Degrees while the rest received Masters Degrees in Business Administration, Philosophy, Science, Arts and Fine Arts.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, Asantehene and Chancellor of the University, observed that after 50 years of independence it was imperative that stakeholders took time to reflect on the impact of higher education on the nation’s development.

“Today, more than 50 years as a sovereign nation and 60 years of a first class University of Science and Technology, more than 90 per cent of consumer goods in our shops are imported while graduate unemployment stares us starkly in our faces”, the Asantehene noted

He said other setbacks such as lack of planning in the cities, resulting in flooding, mounting refuse, the lack of appropriate drainage systems, outmoded agricultural practices and other pressing technological as well as socio-economic challenges should continually engage the attention of researchers, scientists and policy-makers.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said higher education should be problem-solving and tasked institutions of higher learning to brainstorm with policy-makers to generate new ideas that would be responsive to the needs of society.

He charged the graduands to be committed to influencing the society positively by putting into practice what they had learnt.

Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST, paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of the university for their vision and mission of spearheading the progress of the nation through science and technology education.

The university, he said, had since its formation churned out well-resourced graduates who had contributed to national development.

Source: GNA