Professor David Essumang, the Vice Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University, said partnering with the media will help drive the university's aspiration of attaining global recognition as a premier educational institution. Recognising the power of media in shaping public opinion, he emphasised the importance of leveraging this collaboration to effectively communicate academic excellence, research discoveries and contributions of the university to society. Prof. Essumang said this at a media soiree for journalists in the Eastern Region as part of the university's efforts to showcase its academic excellence, research breakthroughs, and impactful initiatives, ultimately positioning itself as a leader in the global higher education landscape. The vision of the university to become a world-class higher learning institution would not be possible without stakeholders' cooperation, particularly the media, he said. 'This, undoubtedly, calls for continued hard work, discipline, perseverance, and courage in all areas, as well as sustaining the mobilisation of human, material, and financial resources, among other things, as a priority on the school's agenda,' Mr Essumang said. The university started as a polytechnic with two programmes - the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marketing, Purchasing and Supply, with a student population of 47. However, after its conversion into a fully-fledged university, it offers 25 Bachelor of Technology (B'Tech) programmes, with a student population ballooned to about 8,719. The degree programmes are B'Tech in Automotive Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, Welding and Fabrication Engineering, Renewable Energy Systems Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Electricals/Electronic Engineering. It also has computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics, actuarial science, graphic design technology, fashion design and textiles, medical laboratory sciences and biomedical sciences, environmental management, and technology. It has made some progress towards enhancing its staff profile and improving academic and administrative systems. Prof. Essumang acknowledged the contributions of all stakeholders and appreciated all those who had worked on the frontlines and behind the scenes to bring KTU to its present status.

Source: Ghana News Agency