By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, has appealed to Corporate Institutions and Philanthropic individuals to support the University’s initiative to provide each less resourced student with a laptop computer to enable them to also fully participate in the electronic academic and research activities at the school.
According to the Vice Chancellor, with E-learning now an integral part of the academic activities on campus, needy students would not only perform below their abilities but could also lose out completely while their mates who can afford the gadgets make progress. Professor Rita Dickson made the appeal during a presentation to the University.
Professor Rita Akosua Dickson’s assumption of office as the first ever female Vice Chancellor of Ghana’s Premier Science, Engineering and Technology Research and Training University last year was at a time the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ghana so hard that in-person contacts in schools including the Universities had been held up through a government directive.
This policy to reduce the spread of the virus came with its own challenges as teaching, learning and research activities on campus became impossible, requiring innovative and creative alternatives.
This is what compelled management of the KNUST to introduce online teaching, learning and research works including preparation and presentation of Project Works and Thesis by students.
However, it was realised by the Management that not all the students could fully participate in academic work for various factors, the major one being the lack of laptops by quite a sizeable number of the Students who could not afford it.
This is what moved the new Vice Chancellor to launch the initiative, ”Support One Needy Student with One Laptop” code-named ‘SONSOL’. Since last year, records show that some concerned Corporate institutions and old students have been responding to the clarion call.
So far, out of the expected 5,000 pieces of new laptops, a little below 1,000 has been received.
Also responding to this call is the Ghana Institution of Surveyors whose members are mainly alumni of the KNUST.
The Institution has presented 25 brand new Laptop Computers with each costing 3,500 to support the ‘SONSOL’ initiative.
At the KNUST to hand over the gifts were some national executives and other members of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors.
The Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, thanked the donors for the goodwill shown and appealed to others to also come to the aid of the needy students.
She also appealed to the Ghana Institution of Surveyors and its members to accept students of the University for their practicals and National Service to prepare them for the job market.
President of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, Dr. John Amaglo, who did the presentation, explained that the gesture was in response to an appeal by the Vice Chancellor to the Surveyors to assist.