Accra, Feb. 1, GNA – The Academic City University has introduced two new Engineering programmes aimed to push the boundaries of knowledge while establishing a foothold for their students in jobs of the future.
The programmes, which will commence in February 2021 are Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Bachelor of Science Robotics Engineering.
Dr Fred McBagonluri, the President of the University, speaking at an event to announce the programmes, said the US Bureau of Labour Statistics projects a 4 per cent growth for biomedical engineering job outlook for 2018-2028.
He said the statistics represented significant opportunities for Biomedical Engineering students as they prepare for the world of work.
He said the programme was initiated as part of the institution’s efforts at developing a cadence of new programmes that would invariably push the boundaries of knowledge while establishing a foothold for their students in jobs of the future.
“The Biomedical Engineering programme is integrated with new programmes in Robotics Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (AI),” he said.
He said the programme was positioned to take advantage of the intersections of Robotics and AI to open new career avenues for students in medical devices development, medical data informatics, tissue engineering, rehabilitation medicine and the design of advanced prosthetics, especially for emerging markets.
Dr McBagonluri said the University recognised that the future of industrialisation and research would cut across a broad spectrum of key strategic knowledge areas of which biomedical and bioengineering are invariably key strategic thrusts.
“In this programme, the emphasis is placed on design, analysis and modelling, programming, integration of AI, biomedical data and informatics,” he added.
He said the programme was deliberately designed to play comfortably at the intersection of AI, Biomedical and Robotics.
The President said the programme was to educate students, who could combine engineering and life sciences in the service for human health, ethically advance their understanding of biology using complex engineering concepts and methodologies, and designing new solutions and technologies to advance society.
He said Biomedical Engineering programme (undergraduate) were to ensure that graduates would exhibit a systematic approach to problem-solving in their professional practice; including quantitative, and analytical skills with an emphasis in a sustainable future.
“Gain careers in biomedical engineering or related fields where they will continue to develop their skills and leadership acumen,” he added.
For the Robotics Engineering programme, he said it was part of efforts at developing a cadence of engineering programmes that would continue to push the boundaries of knowledge while establishing a foothold for our students in jobs-of-the-future.
Additionally, the need to industrialise has been effectively articulated by the Government.
This government’s effort will require the design, development and deployment of robotics systems and the pertinent operational logistics that graduates from the programme could support.
He said Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the strategic partner in the programme, has had a robotics programme and research for over 30 years and developed the first undergraduate programme in robotics.
He said in the programme emphasis was placed on design, analysis and modelling, programming, integration of AI and manufacturing.
Additionally, the programme is deliberately designed to play comfortably at the intersection of AI and Biomedical Engineering providing further impetus to new programmes in Data Analytics and Advanced Autonomous Systems.
By this approach, “we intend to create a versatile graduate conversant in a broad area of robotics while poised also for research in the rapidly evolving field of robotics,” he said.
GNA