The Minister of Environment, Science and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, has inaugurated the first phase of the Mechatronic Laboratory of the Sunyani Technical University, which forms part of measures to further enhance research and hands-on training of students in various engineering programmes.
The Mechatronic Laboratory is part of the Science Park project, which started in 2007 with funding from the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng lauded STU for its readiness to absorb the first and subsequent batches of Free SHS graduates as from January next year, adding that the opening of the lab “has come in handy to give Free SHS graduates entering the university hands-on training in science, research, technical, technological and innovation education to propel the country’s industrial agenda by this government.”
He announced the setting up of a nine-member Advisory Council on Science, Technology and Innovation by government to further entrench the study and application of science and technology in the country.
The Minister also said 32 technical and vocational training schools across the country were being retooled under this government to enable them offer practical training to students.
For his part, the Vice-Chancellor of Sunyani Technical University, Ing. Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah expressed his appreciation to the government for supporting the university to set up “this ultra-modern laboratory, which remains a critical input, for the technical and professional skills development of our students in areas of electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering….”
“We equally thank the President and the government for the on-going construction of the AVIC project which also seeks to install more engineering tools and equipment at the Sunyani Technical University for the expected practical training of our students”, he added.
Ing. Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah said the university has electrical and electronic engineering as its niche area and that management and staff were leaving no stone unturned to embark on intensive academic research and to provide the requisite hand-on training to students.
This, according to him, is to position the university to become a leader in the manufacturing of electric vehicles and other electrical and electronic machineries and technologies in Ghana, in support of the government’s industrialization agenda through the One-district, One Factory policy.
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