Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun
The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Takoradi Technical University (TTU), Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun, says technical universities should do more research to drive teaching and learning in order to produce technically skilled labour force that society needs.
He said even though the COVID-19 pandemic is having a toll on all spheres of life including research, researchers must be at the forefront to explore opportunities presented due to the pandemic.
The Vice Chancellor was speaking at the 2nd Biennial Research Conference 2021 of the University which was on the theme: “Championing Research within the University Space in the COVID-19 Era: The Role of Technical Universities,” said that the post-pandemic world will require a new way of thinking and new ways of doing things.
“A significant impact of COVID-19 pandemic is the reduction in availability of internally generated funds, governmental support and external grants and scholarships. Also, the redirection of research funds to investigate COVID-19 has negatively affected many research areas not related to the pandemic,” he pointed out.
He further mentioned that travel restrictions have affected ongoing research, but said it is extremely difficult to ignore the cancellation of research work which requires internships, industrial placement of researchers in companies and institutes.
Prof. Eshun however, noted that the pandemic has also created opportunities for researchers to delve into new areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Collaborative Robotics (Cobot) and Machine Learning (ML) among others.
He noted that building local capacity in research is necessary for accessing the opportunities and managing the risks of an ever-changing world.
Prof. Maama Afua Nkrumah, Chairperson, Publications Board of the university said “it is well-accepted that academic research has contributed enormously to finding solutions to many problems faced by our society and industries.”
She said the outbreak of the pandemic has changed teaching and learning, and TTU just like other universities has adequately adjusted to the new norm and moved most of teaching and learning activities on digital platforms.
Prof. Ing. Kwadjo Adinkrah-Appiah, Chairman, Vice Chancellors of Technical Universities in Ghana, said the country’s development is currently fraught with challenges including social and economic problems such as crime, bribery and corruption and academic dishonesty and now COVID-19.
He said the panacea to the challenges can be achieved through research.
Prof. Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy VC, Research Innovation and Engagement, Durban University of Technology, South Africa, who was visiting, stressed the need for “agility and planning as well as reskilling staff and students on digital tools and platforms.”
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoiradi