Dr Francis Boateng Agyenim, Director, CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research, has called on technical universities to nurture the power of students’ potential to explore their innovative ideas for transformational development.
He said the University faculty must harness the talents of students because they are “professors” endowed with the most innovative minds in the world.
Dr Agyenim said this on Tuesday at the second Chief Executive Officers lecture series as part of the 75th anniversary of Accra Technical University.
It was on the theme, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.”
He said the country’s education must be fit for purpose and focus on technical and vocational education to solve society’s problems.
Stakeholders must integrate innovation and entrepreneurship to create the needed mindset of students to be empowered and competitive in the emerging world of work.
“Innovation drives Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Several countries like China, the United States of America, and others have used innovation to contribute to higher GDP,” he said.
Research shows that countries which have invested in research, innovation, and development turned out to have a greater GDP.
“We need to continue to explore the dynamics of innovation through interaction with industry players, academia to increase the country’s GDP,” he said.
Ghana, he stated, needed the creative and innovative brains to maximise the rich natural resources for the benefit of all.
That, Dr Agyenim said, could be done through investment in technical and vocational education to shape the development of the country.
Government prioritisation in technical and vocational education would help industries create jobs for the teeming youth and make them self-reliant.
Dr Prince Kofi Kludjeson, Executive Chairman, CellTel Networks, said the country must focus on smart education connecting Universities across the globe to aid effective teaching and learning.
He urged students to strive to develop extra soft skills to be marketable in the job market.
Professor Alice Mensah, Chairperson, 75th Anniversary Planning Committee, ATU, said the University had made remarkable growth in innovation and excellence in technical and vocational training.
He said the initiative was more than a lecture but a convergence of minds to pave the way for a brighter future for the youth.
The discourse, the Professor, said would equip the students with skills to thrive in the market and bridge the gap between industry and academia.Â
