Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is a university located in Kumasi, Ghana. It is the second public university established in the country. It was founded as the Kumasi College of Technology in 1952.The nucleus of the college was formed from 200 teacher training students transferred from Achimota in the Greater Accra Region. The college was affiliated to the University of London. In 1961, the college was granted full university status. The main university campus which is about seven square miles in area, is located about eight miles to the east of Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
The Kumasi College of Technology opened officially on 22 January 1952 with 200 Teacher Training students transferred from Achimota, to form the nucleus of the new College. In October, 1952, the School of Engineering and the Department of Commerce were established and the first students were admitted. A Pharmacy Department was established in January, 1953, with the transfer of the former School of Pharmacy from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, to the College. The Department ran a two-year comprehensive course in Pharmacy leading to the award of the Pharmacy Board Certificate. A Department of Agriculture was opened in the same year to provide a number of ad hoc courses of varying duration, from a few terms to three years, for the Ministry of Agriculture. A Department of General Studies was also instituted to prepare students for the Higher School Certificate Examinations in both Science and Arts subjects and to give instruction in such subjects as were requested by the other departments.
From 1952 to 1955, the School of Engineering prepared students for professional qualifications only. In 1955, the School embarked on courses leading to the University of London Bachelor of Engineering External Degree Examinations.
Once established, the College began to grow and in 1957, the School of Architecture, Town Planning and Building was inaugurated and its first students were admitted in January, 1958, for professional courses in Architecture, Town Planning and Building. As the College expanded, it was decided to make the Kumasi College of Technology a purely science and technology institution. In pursuit of this policy, the Teacher Training College, with the exception of the Art School, was transferred in January, 1958, to the Winneba Training College, and in 1959 the Commerce Department was transferred to Achimota to form the nucleus of the present School of administration of the University of Ghana, Legon.
In December, 1960, the Government of Ghana appointed a University Commission to advise it on the future development of University Education Ghana, in connection with the proposal to transform the University College of Ghana and the Kumasi College of Technology into an independent University of Ghana. Following the report of the commission which came out early 1961, Government decided to establish two independent Universities in Kumasi and Legon, Accra. The Kumasi College of Technology was thus transformed into a full-fledged University Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology by an Act of Parliament on 22 August 1961. The name honors Kwame Nkrumah, the first prime minister and later president of Ghana.
The University name was changed to University of Science and Technology after the Revolution of 24 February 1966. The University of Science and Technology was officially inaugurated on Wednesday, 20 November 1961. However, another act of Parliament(Act 559 of 1998) changed the name back to its original version, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
Vision and Mission
Vision Statement: The vision of KNUST is to be globally recognised as the premier Centre of excellence in Africa for teaching in Science and Technology for development; producing high calibre graduates with knowledge and expertise to support the industrial and socio-economic development of Ghana and Africa.
Mission Statement: The mission of KNUST is to provide an environment for teaching, research and entrepreneurship training in Science and Technology for development of Ghana and Africa. KNUST will also provide service to the community, be open to all the people of Ghana and positioned to attract scholars, industrialists and entrepreneurs from Africa and other international communities.
Organization and Administration
Principal Officers
The principal Officers of the University as set out in the Statutes are the Chancellor, Chairman of the University Council and Vice-Chancellor. As of 2011, the position of Chancellor was held by The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Governing Body
Governance of the University is carried out by the University Council, primarily through the Academic Board which is responsible for:
- formulating and carrying out the academic policy of the University;
- devising and regulating the courses of instruction and study, and supervising research;
- regulating the conduct of examinations and the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates;
- advising the University Council on the admission of students and the award of scholarships;
- reporting on such matters as may be referred to it by the University Council.
Academics
The collegiate system of the university was reviewed, and from the 2010/11 academic year some of the colleges operate a 2-tier system, while others maintain their 3-tier system.
Colleges under the three tier system (Provost/Dean/Head of Department):
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension
- Department of Animal Sciences
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
- Department of Horticulture
- Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources
- Department of Agroforestry
- Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management
- Department of Silviculture and Forest Management
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management
- Department of Wood Science and Technology
- Faculty of Forest Resources Technology (Sunyani)
- Department of Ecotourism and Forest Recreation
- Department of Land Reclamation and Rehabilitation
- Department of Social Forestry
- Department of Wood Processing and Marketing
College of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology
- Department of Nursing
- Department of Sports and Excercise Science
- Department of Sonography
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- School of Medical Sciences
- Dental School
- School of Veterinary Medicine
College of Art and Social Sciences
- Centre for Cultural and African Studies
- Faculty of Art
- Department of Industrial Art
- Department of Integrated Rural Art and Industry
- Department of Publishing Studies
- Department of General Art Studies
- Department of Painting and Sculpture
- Department of Communication Design
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Department of Economics
- Department of Geography and Rural Development
- Department of History and Political Studies
- Department of English
- Department of Modern Languages
- Department of Sociology and Social Work
- Department of Religious Studies
- School of Business
Colleges under the two tier system (Provos/Head of Department):
College of Architecture and Planning
- Department of Architecture
- Department of Building Technology
- Department of Land Economy
- Department of Planning
College of Engineering
- Department of Agricultural Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Civil Engineering
- Department of Computer Engineering
- Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering
- Department of Geological Engineering
- Department of Geomatic Engineering
- Department of Materials Engineering
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Department of Geodetic Engineering
College of Science
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology
- Department of Chemistry
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Environmental Science
- Department of Food Science and Technology
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Optometry and Visual Science
- Department of Physics
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology
Institute of Distance Learning
In the year 2005, the KNUST adopted Distance Learning as a viable complement to the conventional face-to-face system of education. This decision was made in order to offer opportunity for people to pursue academic programmes with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), while still on full time employment.
In October, 2007, the Academic Board changed the status of the Faculty of Distance Learning to an Institute, in order to give it more leverage and autonomy. The Institute of Distance Learning (IDL) is therefore expected to increase access to quality tertiary education and training through the use of a wide range of technologies.
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