Accra – Tuesday July 4, 2023: The Head of the Local Government Service (LGS), Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur has charged the Management of the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KoKMA) to bridge industry-academia gap in Physical Planning.
He made the statement when he honoured an invitation to a one-day International Round Table Conference on Industry-Academia relationship between Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly and the People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN).
The conference which was held at the Accra City Hotel brought participants together to discuss, learn and share best practices to create and strengthen the industry-academia relationship for some selected African countries RUDN.
The Head of Service expressed appreciation to KoKMA for the honour done him to be part of such a significant programnme. He emphasised that the Industry-Academia relationship was one key area the Local Government Service seeks to grow for staff and commended KoKMA for taken the lead. He said though most of the Industry-Academia courses from Russia are under Engineering, he called for critical need to also consider Physical Planning, Environmental Health and Information Technology (IT). He called on the Management of KoKMA to factor his appeal into the negotiations with RUDN.
The Municipal Chief Executive of KoKMA, Hon. Nii Ajei Tawiah appreciated the participants for honouring the invitation to the conference. He said discussions of the various learning modules, tools, and strategies would ensure the synchronisation of educational curriculum with the Human Resource needs of industry for the development and transformation of Ghana.
Mr. Tawiah was optimistic that the conference would provide the avenue to connect universities and the private sector to work together to address deficiencies in academic programmes with little or no relevant attention to the needed skills set. He was of the view that, the programme would open windows of opportunities for coming generations to be equipped with employable skills for the local market.
Again, he said the common frameworks and modules that were discussed at the programme would help develop an appropriate educational programme to enhance proper utilisation of Ghana’s natural resources for national growth and development.
According to him, the collaboration the Assembly and the Gold State and Jewellers Association of Ghana in setting up a jewellery factory would also promote local economic development through the processing of natural resources.
The Russian Coordinator of Nuclear Education Programmes in Africa from the People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), Dr. Masamba Kah, led his team from Russia on presentations on courses they offer for the consideration of Ghana. These included Instrument of Sustainable Energy Balance at country level, industrial-educational partnership in the field of Solar Energy, Mineral Resources, Engineering Education as a key factor of economic sovereignty, Network Master’s Programme in Mining Geology converging Industry and University Education, Localisation of metallurgical production in African countries and Industrial water treatment system.
The Jeweller Association of Ghana and Gold Statement also delivered an insightful presentation on the Accra Gold and Jewellery Park Project.