The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Sunyani has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) to advance study in emerging technologies.
The mutually beneficial MoU between specifically the Department of Computer and Electricals Engineering – UENR, and the GI-KACE is to foster a healthy collaboration that will enable joint research in emerging technologies.
With both institutions being engineering and technologically inclined, it is believed that putting resources together and building synergy would help in advancing research and other practical studies in this area in an era of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) driven by digitalisation.
Director-General of GI-KACE, Dr. Collins Yeboah-Afari, stated during the short MoU signing ceremony that the partnership between the two institutions forms part of their bit to help government’s digitalisation transformation agenda.
He added that the centre was happy to reinforce the relationship it had with the UENR in the past which saw some students from the institute undertake industrial attachment at the centre, as well as some lecturers handling programmes at the centre.
“The actual purpose of this occasion is to facilitate the Department of Computer and Electricals Engineering-UENR students’ participation and hands-on sessions on campuses and our centres in Sunyani and Accra. We will also jointly conduct research in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), and accommodate students for internships and others.
“For us as an institution, this is part of our bit to help government’s digital transformation agenda. We see this relationship as a building block that will help elevate both institutions’ status needed to do our quota in achieving government’s IT Transformation Agenda,” Dr Yeboah-Afari disclosed.
On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako, expressed his excitement about the collaboration, and assured the management of GI-KACE that UENR is committed to ensuring that the intended objectives are achieved.
“These days, one institution cannot do it alone. The University of Energy and Natural Resources and Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT are, therefore, supposed to support each other to support government’s vision. GI-KACE is supposed to champion this idea because ICT is now the trend, and so whether you like it or not, it is ICT that is ruling the world; and so we want to commend you for what you have been doing,” Prof. Asare-Bediako said.
Furthermore, he added that every state institution, irrespective of the sector, thrives on ICT in this new era of digitalisation; hence, the training of graduates must be aligned to this trend for them to survive in the digital space to boost the national economic development agenda.
“Your task in educating the entire nation in ICT has made this relationship even more essential. Since Sunyani is located in the central part of Ghana, this collaboration means that we will take care of the centre to the northern part of the country and ensure no part of the country is left out,” Prof. Asare-Bediako Added.
He noted that UENR is looking to run academic degrees internally for GI-KACE staff who would want to upgrade themselves.
“It is my wish that this MoU that we have signed will not be the type that will gather dust on the shelf, but rather a more active one. I do not doubt that we will work together to ensure that this MoU becomes exemplary and move government’s agenda forward.” The vice-chancellor concluded.
From left: Dr. Collins Yeboah-Afari and Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako
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