KNUST Steps Up Effort To Promote Industrial Growth

Kumasi, Sept 06, GNA - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as part of deliberate steps to aid industrial growth, has set up a research fund.

Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, the Vice-Chancellor, said the goal was to motivate the staff to find innovative ways to address socio-economic and industrial challenges facing the nation.

He announced this at a conference held to showcase the research activities and findings of the university.

Dubbed 'Building stronger universities phase two', it was funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and a consortium of Danish Universities led by the University of Copenhagen.

The conference brought together scientists, technocrats, captains of industry and investors from across Africa.

Prof Obiri-Danso indicated that research projects of the university should produce readily implementable outputs for 'the economic and human development of Ghana and Africa'.

He said there was going to be two types of awards under the fund - seed grant and multi-disciplinary grant.

The multi-disciplinary grant would provide support for research that specifically addressed a national development issue, to shape or influence policy and practice.

He added that a Committee had been appointed to oversee the evaluation of the various proposals, selection and disbursement of the money.

Prof Obiri-Danso said proposals received so far covered studies on the breeding, hatchability and larvae growth of the African River prawn, production and training on okra genotypes for their potential food and medical qualities and mobile health technology for blood pressure control in Ghana.