The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Monday inaugurated its GH¢ 10.5 million Accra City Campus and Institute of Distance Learning (IDL) Centre at Pokuase near Accra.
The complex, which is six-storey with basement, has nine to 150 seater lecture halls, 120-seater computer and server rooms with several offices and two bed sitters.
Professor William Otoo Ellis, KNUST Vice Chancellor, said in its quest to expand as a science and technology university it had been implementing programmes in its attempt to offer a lot more opportunities to prospective students.
He said it was in respect of this that the IDL was restructured in 2005 to reposition it to offer a complementary platform to the normal conventional lecture room sessions which is delivered on the main campus of KNUST in Kumasi.
He said in tandem with the Institute’s vision of increasing access to relevant and flexible tertiary and continuing education and training anytime, anywhere through the Distance Learning Mode using multimedia.
The Vice Chancellor said the IDL runs 17 undergraduate programmes from the various departments of the University in addition to 13 postgraduate programmes.
He said the IDL had a student population of slightly more than 10,000 in 13 different centres all over Ghana and two off-shore pilot virtual campuses; one in the United Arab Emirates and a recent one in Nigeria.
He said major challenges affecting the growth and expansion of their distance and continuing education programmes especially in the Accra City Centre has been the availability of suitable facilitation rooms and the concomitant high rental charges paid for the use of such facilities.
“This results continually in the change of venues, thus creating an inconvenience to most of our students.
“In addition to the above and looking at the trend of increase in our student population, it became imperative for us to acquire our own facilities in some regional capitals to make our service more client-friendly for our students,” the Vice Chancellor said.
Prof Ellis said processes were underway with the selection of a contractor for their Nothern Sector Campus in Tamale, whiles negotiations were also being concluded on a parcel of land in Takoradi for the Western Campus.
He said all these were aimed at fulfilling their avowed goal to make science and technology education accessible to the citizenry of the nation in tandem with government’s policy on tertiary education and education technology innovations that provides the policy framework for Ghanaian universities to increase access to tertiary education.
He said with the completion of the complex, their office accommodation and lecture hall problems at the Accra Centre would be a thing of the past.
He commended the tireless efforts of some groups and individuals who have contributed in diverse ways to ensure that the Accra City Campus came to fruition.
Mr Kwame Saarah-Mensah, Acting KNUST Council Chairman said the Accra City Campus would enable workers pursue further studies.
He urged stakeholders such as the government, universities and cooperate entities to help address the graduate unemployment situation in the country.
Mr Sam Atukwei Quaye, Ga West Municipal Chief Executive said the road leading to the Accra City Campus would be fixed next year.
He also assured students and staff of their security.
