Picture: the Vice-Chancellor of KsTU (middle) with Mr Xiao of AVIC and Mr. Ma of RZPT after the signing of the agreement.
The Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) has signed a bilateral agreement with a Chinese institution to set up a campus and workshop to advance quality technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The initiative would see KsTU running programmes in Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Construction Technology, while the Luban workshop takes care of the practical aspect under the assigned programmes. China's Rizhao Polytechnic (RZPT) partnership with KsTU will help boost the training in vocational education in both China and Ghana.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ing. Prof Osei-Wusu Achaw, the Vice-Chancellor of KsTU said, the signing will pave the way for establishment of the campus to extend Ghana's vocational education and training to cover many more disciplines and offer opportunities to more Ghanaian students to achieve quality education. While expressing optimism about the bilateral agreement, the Vice-Chancellor said it would further build the capacity of the University because it also seeks to help prepare the human resource required to further boost the nation’s industrialisation drive.
Dr. Tina Abrefa Gyan the Deputy Director-General of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) on her part said, the Ghanaian Government has made a massive investment in the area of TVET with over $1 billion since 2017 and it has resolved to revamp several technical universities and institutes by constructing workshops as well as supplying and installing equipment for the use of these institutions. Dr. Abrefa Gyan also hailed the China’s AVIC International Holding Corporation, which was involved in the various upgrading projects and facilitating the cooperation between the two institutions.
Qian Rong, the General Manager of China's AVIC-INTL Project Engineering Company said, the company is honoured to facilitate the campus project. He further added that the company will always be committed to its role in advancing Ghana's vocational education.
The pact was jointly signed by Ing. Professor Nana Osei-Wusu Achaw, the Vice-Chancellor of KsTU, Prof. Ma Fangxing, a Civil Engineering Lecturer at the Rizhao Polytechnic, China, and Mr. Xiao Shengtao, the General Manager, AVIC International.
Per the agreement, students pursuing courses at the proposed campus would spend the first year at KsTU, the next two years in China, and the final year at KsTU.
Meanwhile, a total of 15 students from KsTU have been chosen to study at the Rizhao Polytechnic for the next two years.
Picture: Some officers of KsTU, RZPT, AVIC International and the Deputy Director-General of CTVET (seated at 5th position from left).
