By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Aug. 18, GNA – Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, a Deputy Minister of Education, says there is the need to embrace innovation to be able to solve current challenges that confront the country.
“We must be innovative in our policies, research activities and the kind of academic programmes we develop and design for our tertiary institutions,” he added.
Rev. Fordjour was speaking at the launch of five Engineering Programmes by Pentecost University in Accra on Thursday.
The University received clearance from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to commence these five new Bachelor of Engineering.
The programmes include Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Robotics and Automation, BEng. Electricals and Electronics; BEng. Systems Engineering, BEng. Manufacturing Engineering and BEng. Environmental Engineering.
He said the University was training students to be problem solvers in collaboration with industry to raise critical skills graduates to provide solutions for national development.
The Deputy Minister said, “if we can truly transform our education, we need to expand innovation across the various areas of the educational system.”
He said there was no way expansion could be made leaving the foundational level, hence the Ministry was transforming the schools
curriculum at the primary level from objective base to standard base.
He said the Ministry of Education had a mission to raise critical masses to acquire skills required to make a difference in the economy.
Rev. Fordjour said education needed to respond to the 21 Century needed by training and equipping graduates with the skills for development.
“We are excited to see Pentecost University redefine 21st Century education and chart the path of innovation,” he added.
He called on stakeholders to support the government to leapfrog in the educational sector and appealed to tertiary institutions to expand their faculty and introduce news programmes to meet the increasing demand.
Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice-Chancellor of the Pentecost University, said the
five programmes would reinforce the University’s position to provide industry-relevant engineering education that would equip the next generation for the increasingly sophisticated Industry requirements.
He said the University was establishing the Pentecost Engineering Village to provide intensive practical skills and experience, research for national development.
He said Pentecost University together with five distinguished world-class Universities (Warwick, UNIBO, LULEA, BIUST, ILMENAU) have been awarded a total of €2.69 million (equivalent of approximately GH₡ 35.3 million) for its premium research into the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber-Physical Systems, Robotics, Laser technologies and Life Cycle modelling for eco-efficient manufacturing of electric vehicle components.
This award from the European Commission Horizon-MSC-2022-DN-01-01 for the University
Consortium places the University ahead of its competitors in value- driven research and practical engineering education in Ghana.
He said the Ministry of Education selected the University as one of two universities to pilot the Pre-Engineering programme instituted by the Ministry.
The Vice-Chancellor said the programme was for the University to offer a two-semester rigorous teaching that built the foundation of non-science students to enroll in mainstream engineering programmes at the Bachelor of Science level.
He said currently, the University had admitted over 100 students into the mainstream.
GNA