Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a university located in Kumasi, Ghana. It is the second public university established in the country. It was originally established in 1951 as Kumasi College of Technology, and was transformed into a full-fledged university in 1952. It was named after Kwame Nkrumah by an act of parliament in 1961.
The university boasts of a massive student population owing to its public status in perhaps one of the biggest cities in Ghana. The university has six colleges, each made of different faculties of learning and an institute of distance learning. It is also affiliated to a host of other university colleges, research centers and institutions of higher learning.
Life on KNUST campus is full of amazing experiences from academics to extra curricular. A drone view of the entire campus land mass displays a green environment. The campus houses a stadium, a few students' hall of residence, and one very monumental piece of artefact called the Peace Pole. The Pole was made from a 105 years old Sapele tree which used to stand in the university's botanical garden. The 55 feet tall pole was erected at KNUST on 21st September 2007 on the International Day of Peace. Indigenous symbols have been carved on the pole. 5 languages (Twi—a local language in Ghana, Hindi, Chinese, Swahili, and Arabic) have been used to express the peace prayer on the pole: "MAY PEACE BE ON EARTH".
A prominent alumni member of KNUST is one of Africa's outstanding diplomats and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, the late Koffi Atta Annan. Young Koffi Annan began his undergraduate studies in the economics department at KNUST in 1958 before he received funding from the Ford Foundation to complete his studies in the United States. Also Nigerian pop star and creative entrepreneur, Oluwatosin Ajibade popularly known as Mr Eazi was a mechanical engineering undergraduate student in 2008 at age 16 when he relocated to Ghana. His music and entrepreneurial career started during his time at KNUST where he was involved in launching a party and promotion company called Swagger Entertainment which he used to book shows and promote campus events.
KNUST students and alumni should be very proud of their education heritage. Power of Africa sees a New Africa as the place where many more African youths are extended the opportunities to pursue their academic dreams and acquire the requisite skills needed to make a positive impact in their communities.