The alumni of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have launched the KNUST Alumni Endowment Fund (KAEF), a transformative step toward strengthening sustainable partnerships between alumni, industry, development partners and the university.
The KAEF was officially launched at the KNUST Kaptains of Industry Soirée & Awards Nite (KOISAN) held to honour outstanding alumni and supportive industry partners in Accra last Friday.
The Endowment Fund is designed to support priority areas, including student sponsorship, research and innovation, infrastructure development and institutional resilience, while ensuring prudent management and transparency.
Held on the theme, “Partnership in Progress”, the event brought together captains of industry, senior government officials, academia, alumni leaders, development partners and friends to celebrate excellence, strengthen collaboration, and chart a sustainable future for the university.
Notable among the dignitaries were the Chairman of the University Governing Council, who chaired the occasion, Akyamfo Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, Mamfehene and Kyidomhene of Akuapem, Nana Ansah Sasraku III, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, Diplomat, Dr Kwame Saarah-Mensah and Pro-Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. David Asamoah.
Following the official launch of the KAEF by Mr Owusu-Agyemang, a 10-member Board of Trustees, chaired by the Mamfehene, Nana Sasraku III, was inaugurated to oversee the fund and drive its objective of sustainable financing.
Akyamfo Agyemang-Bonsu underscored the importance of moving beyond episodic support to structured, long-term collaboration.
He mentioned that sustainable university development thrived when partnerships were guided by shared values, continuity and accountability, stressing that alumni and industry remain critical pillars in advancing KNUST’s mandate as a leading science and technology institution.
The university Council Chairman described KOISAN as a timely platform that brings decision-makers together to align goodwill with purpose, adding that the university’s progress depended on “partnerships that endure beyond personalities and generations.”
Strategic investment
For her part, Prof. (Mrs) Dickson emphasised that the endowment fund represented a strategic investment in the university’s future.
She noted that predictable and sustainable funding was essential for academic excellence, research impact, and global competitiveness, adding that the fund would help insulate critical academic and student-support initiatives from short-term financial constraints.
Partnerships
The President of the KNUST Alumni Association, Dr Herman Yobo Addae, explained that KOISAN was born out of the need to formally recognise and honour the contributions of alumni, corporate bodies, and development partners, noting that such partnerships were central to the Vice-Chancellor’s vision and the university’s long-term growth.
Dr Addae described the launch of the Endowment Fund, together with the inauguration of its first Board of Trustees, as a potentially game-changing milestone that meaningfully coincided with the KOISAN event.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
