Dr LongmuB urges Africa Universities not to operate in isolation, build strong network

By Dennis Peprah
 
Sunyani, (Bono), Sept. 29, GNA-Dr Jorg LongmuB, an International Research and Management Consultant at the SUSTAINUM INSITUT, Germany, has urged universities in Africa to build strong partnership and proffer lasting solutions to the challenges of the continent. 
 
He said as developing countries, universities in Africa could not operate in isolation and at the same time anticipated to tackle emerging challenges in the continent, saying Africa universities required strong collaboration to share expertise to advance the development. 
 
Dr LongmuB gave the advice when speaking at a media engagement on the sidelines of the closing session of the implementation of “Professional Education for Renewable Energy in Ghana (ProREG)” project held at the Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES) of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani. 
 
RCEES is a World-Bank funded Africa Centre Excellence set to address critical energy and sustainability needs in Africa and beyond. 
 
The ProREG, a three-year project, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) was implemented from 2022 to 2025 and aimed at increasing labour market relevance of education in the field of renewable energy in Ghana. 
 
Partners in the project implementation comprise Technische Universität Berlin (TUB, Coordinator), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the UENR. 
 
Under the project, new practice-relevant modules in the field of renewable energies were integrated into the curricula of KNUST and UENR with lecturers trained and experienced in agile teaching and learning formats on practical application of renewable energies. 
 
Dr LongmuB said: “Universities in Africa operating in isolation haven’t helped the developing countries in the continent” and urged the universities to re-think and build strong networks and share ideas in tackling the development needs of Africa. 
 
“Africa countries have been dominated by international forces, buy their raw materials cheaper and add value to sell it back to them expensively”, he stated, saying with strong collaborations, Africa universities could have the capacity to transform the continent’s abundance of raw materials to finished products. 
 
Professor Dr Osvaldo Romero Romero of the University of Applied Sciences, Berlin School of Technology urged Ghana to build strong collaboration between her academia and industry. 
 
He said that would not only enable graduates to adapt, but also well position the nation in adding value to her raw materials. 
 
Earlier, Prof Elvis Asare Bediako, the Vice-Chancellor of the UENR said the project implementation had developed and piloted new practice-oriented teaching modules in renewable energy as well as equipped lecturers with innovative, agile teaching methods. 
 
“We built strong partnerships between academia, industry, and international experts and further created opportunities for our students to engage with real-world renewable energy projects, thereby enhancing their employability”, he stated. 
 
Prof Asare-Bediako expressed the hope that the project would be sustained, with its impacts through new initiatives, strengthened curricula, and long-term cooperation between universities, industry, and the government. 
GNA 
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Kenneth Odeng Adade