The Sunyani Technical University (STU) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vanuatu Trade Commission (VTC) to advance the study of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the University.
The MoU seeks to further provide a collaborative framework between the two institutions for academic collaboration, research grants and training of STU students, faculty and staff in AI for academia and industry.
Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, the Vice Chancellor, signed on behalf of the university, while Ambassador Prof. Hugh Aryee, the Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Ghana, signed for the VTC, at a short ceremony held at the university’s main campus in Sunyani.
Prof Adinkrah-Appiah, in an interview, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the MoU would provide an opportunity for more than 1,500 students, faculty members and lecturers of the university to be trained and equipped with AI knowledge and skills.
As the nation transitioned from fossil to renewable energy, the Vice Chancellor said the MoU was in the right direction, saying the agreement would position it well in its efforts towards the manufacturing of electric vehicles.
“The world is advancing in technology rapidly and we must also leverage AI to achieve the university’s niche of electrical and electronic engineering”, Prof Adinkrah-Appiah stated.
In another interview, Prof. Hugh Aryee, the Vanuatu Trade Commissioner to Ghana, indicated the Commission signed a similar agreement with the Accra Technical University recently.
He said AI played an integral role in advancing global technology there was the need to ensure Ghana derived optimum benefit from AI.
He explained training was in line with a project, the Commission and the African Diaspora Central Bank was implemented in Africa, saying the Commission was mobilizing various universities nationwide to be part of the training, which sought to benefit more than 300,000 people in the country.
The African Diaspora Central Bank, Prof Aryee added embodied six regions in Africa comprising Diasporian families, returning to Africa and had seen the needs to re-build the continent for common good.
Prof Aryee advised Ghanaian individuals, students, associations and institutions to capitalize on the gesture, and enhance their knowledge and skills in AI to enable them to be relevant in the technological age.
In a highlight, Dr David King-Boison, the Chief Executive Officer Knowledge Center, an AI training consultant, and a facilitator of the training, said the training centered on prompt engineering, e-learning and machine learning.
