The Obuasi Campus of the Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a satellite campus, has held its first matriculation ceremony for the 343 students, admitted to pursue Bachelor of Science Degrees programmes for the 2019/2020 academic year.

The fresh students comprising 238 males and 105 females, would be pursuing Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees in engineering courses including Civil, Mechanical, Materials, Metallurgical, Geological, Geomatic and Electrical/Electronic.

Others are studying courses leading to the award of BSc degree in Environmental Science, Business Administration, Business Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Business Information Technology and Business Human Resource.

Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, the Vice-Chancellor, speaking at the ceremony in Obuasi, said the establishment of the Obuasi Campus, was part of the University’s strategic plan to increase access to quality education in science and technology in the country and beyond.

He said the Campus had become a reality due to a strategic stakeholder collaboration of the Government, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene and Chancellor of the KNUST and the management of the AngloGold Ashanti Ghana.

The other key collaborators included the Member of Parliament (MP), traditional authorities, Municipal Chief Executive of Obuasi and his Obuasi East counterpart.

Prof Obiri-Danso assured the students of the readiness and commitment of the university to offer the best of quality tuition from their dedicated and professional lecturers, as well as other support services enjoyed by students on the main campus, would also be available to them

“All the necessary support such as administration, guidance and other students’ support services available on the main campus of the university in Kumasi, would be accessible to you” the Vice-chancellor added.

He congratulated the students on their admission into the University and counselled hard work, focus, discipline and fortitude, saying that was the way to go to achieve their dreams on the campus, beyond in all spheres of life.

He also asked the students to abide by the rules and regulations of the University as indicated in the students’ code of conduct and urged them to utilize judiciously the facilities and resources available to them on campus in order to succeed in the attaining the requisite skills and knowledge needed to be more useful to the society.

He thanked the stakeholders of the area that helped in the realization of the Obuasi Campus and assured them of the continued collaboration and cooperation of the management of the University in order to promote and sustain access to quality education and economic development of the area.

Mr. Eric Asubonteng, the Managing Director of the AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, said as part of the company’s Social Management Plan, a Graduate Trainee Program had been developed to absorb University undergraduate students for training with them.

Under the 2019 component of the Graduate Trainee Program, 20 fresh graduates across all Universities in Ghana, have been absorbed as the first group of graduate students in the country, to undergo the training, 50 percent of the figure are females.

He debunked the public perception that only graduates and students of the Obuasi campus of KNUST, would have automatic recruitment into the AngloGold Ashanti whether through industrial internship or full time employment, adding that they would always expand their source of intake from all other Universities based on merit.