The Alumni Association of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi was formed in 1961 during the tenure of office of the first Vice-Chancellor, Dr. R.P. Baffour of blessed memory. KNUST had attained full University status and had begun to award its own degrees and diplomas in such fields as Engineering, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Architecture, and Town Planning. Alumni Affairs were handled at the Registry as part of the routine administration of the University.
Â
Â
GROWTH OF THE ASSOCIATION AFTER 1966
Interest in Alumni Affairs waned with the exit of Dr. R. P. Baffour as a result of the overthrow of the 1st Republic. However, Dr. Evans Anfom, the 2nd Vice-Chancellor, with the support of the President of the Association, Dr.J. C. Norman, rekindled interest in the Association. The late Mr. T. B. B. Sakyi, then an Assistant Registrar, was made responsible for Alumni Affairs, as part of his schedule, from 1968 till his untimely death in 1977. Mr. Kissi Richardson, who took over the schedule of Mr. Sakyi as an Assistant Registrar, continued to have responsibility for Alumni Affairs. Unfortunately, the Alumni Association had by then lost its momentum and existed only in name. Another attempt at reviving the Association was made in 1980 with the election of Mr. Isaac Ampah as the president and Mr. Kwame Saarah-Mensah as National Secretary. The Executive Committee embarked on a nationwide tour to whip up interest in the Association. This resulted in Alumni contributing significantly towards the University Library Extension project and donation of books, periodicals and chairs to the University Library.
Â
BETWEEN 1983 AND 1999
In 1983, a new Executive Committee, led by Mr. S. 0. Larbi as president, was elected to run the affairs of the Association. Very bold attempts were made to keep the Association alive. This included a nationwide tour by the President and his Executive, culminating in the organisation of a Congress on campus. Unfortunately, with little resources to work with and with virtually no support from the University, it was only a matter of time before the Association became moribund. The momentum was, again, lost. This was the state of affairs until 1999 when the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ambrose Kwame Tuah, formed a Committee to examine proposals towards the celebration of the University's Golden Jubilee in 2001- 2002. The ten-member committee was chaired by Prof. Kwabena Boakye-Yiadom and had Dr. S.0. Asiama as its Secretary. Among the Committee recommendations was the revitalisation of the Alumni Association to enable the Alumni of the University to play a more meaningful role not only in the Golden Jubilee celebrations but more importantly, in the life of the University Generally. Even before the Committee's report was submitted, the Acting Vice-Chancellor accepted the recommendation to revitalise the Alumni Association and took steps towards its achievement.
Â
2000 AND BEYOND: RECEIVING ADDED IMPETUS
The revitalisation of the Association received added impetus with the appointment, in October 1999, of Prof. John Sefah Ayim as the first Alumnus Vice-Chancellor of the University. He readily accepted to continue the process already began by Prof. Tuah. Accompanied by Prof. E. Y. Safo, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. K. BoakyeYiadom, Dr. S.O.Asiama, Mr. G.A.Mensah-Agboh and other members of the Preparatory Committee, the Vice Chancellor visited all the ten regional capitals of the country. The team also visited Terna, Akosombo and made a special visit to Parliament House to meet with Alumni. The visits were very successful, and the Vice Chancellor was very well received by the Alumni wherever he went.
The Vice-Chancellor was also invited by the North American alumni to attend their 2000 Congress in Washington D.C. in the United States. The Vice-Chancellor was accompanied by Dr.S.O.Asiama and Mr.G.A.Mensah-Agboh. This provided the Vice-Chancellor with the opportunity to meet Alumni in many parts of the United States and to interact with them on how best they could be of help to the University. After the Vice-Chancellor tour, TEKNOKRATS held its first Alumni Congress and Homecoming in the year 2000 at the Great Hall, KNUST campus, Kumasi. It was well attended.
It was decided at this congress to build a Jubilee Hostel to ease the student accommodation problems on campus. It was also agreed that Congress should be held every two years and that new national executives would be elected at the congress. In the year 2002, the association held its 2nd Alumni Congress in Kumasi. A New executive, with Mr. Kwame Saarah Mensah as President, Prof. S. 0. Asiama as General Secretary and Dr. Peggy Oti-Boateng as Treasurer was elected into office at this Congress. In the year 2004, under this administration, another alumni congress was organized in Accra. A new set of executives under the presidency of Prof Seth Opuni Asiama was elected at this congress. He had Collins Obeng-Marnu, Evans Yevu Aryee-Quaye and Tony Danklu as General Secretary, Organizing Secretary and Treasurer respectively. A decision was taken by Congress to move the National Association office from Kumasi campus of the University to Terna.
This executive committee with the support of the Terna Chapter then formed the Jubilee Hostel Building Committee with Hero Bhavnani as Chairman to see to the implementation of the 2000 Congress decision of building a hostel on campus. A publication to the effect that each alumnus should contribute 1% of his/her base salary into the Hostel Project Fund for a period of one year was published after which a team, headed by the National President Prof. S. 0. Asiama toured part of the country to encourage members to contribute towards the building of the hostel. Over the years two (2) National Chapters emerged as quite organized with consistent Biennial Congresses in Ghana and Conventions in North America. Australia: United Kingdom - Ireland National Associations were also gathering momentum. It became necessary for the NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS worldwide to GLOBALIZE INTO A ONE STRONG, FORMIDABLE; UNIFIED GLOBAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION; present same, especially in dealing with our ALMA MATER -KNUST.
These discussions to harness our huge potential of our collective & combined strength in the mobilization of our great numbers GLOBALLY to leverage on the same was brought to a final conclusion in July 2014 at Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. The sole aim is the MOBILIZATION of all Teknokrats everywhere and anywhere, to LEVERAGE ON OUR huge numbers, explore and exploit our networks and connections to pull significant RESOURCES TO OUR ALMA MATER and in so doing, seek the welfare of each other. Consequently, on 13th December 2014 at an Extraordinary CONGRESS at Koforidua, the first GLOBAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE was elected into office after the adoption of A REVIEWED CONSTITUTION BY CONGRESS.
Â
SERVICES AND SUPPORT
Alumni support to the University has been immense and diverse, coming from individual Alumni and organisations and establishments in which Alumni dominate. Many Alumni have made significant contributions to their Universities, Departments and Faculties; these have included donations of books and laboratory materials, cash grants, institution of awards for excellence to deserving students, and beneficial links with other institutions within and outside Ghana. The Alumni have also played a significant role in the administration of the University by taking its seat on the University Council.
Â
THE ALUMNI
Since its inception in 1961, the University has trained scores of thousands of graduates in the engineering, architectural design and the construction and building industry, pharmacy, computer science, medical sciences, optometry, biochemistry and the pure sciences, agriculture, industrial and fine arts, surveying, mining, land economy, development planning and the applied arts and social sciences. Today these TEKNOKRATS, as KNUST Alumni are popularly known, can be found in the various sectors of the economy trying to turn the wheels of industry in order to move this country forward towards modernization and development.
Â
THE ASSOCIATION
Because of our common heritage, and out of the love and gratitude we share for our alma mater, all TEKNOKRATS, or the Alumni of the KNUST have mobilised themselves into a formidable association which is desirous of playing a more active role in the affairs of the University in this 21st. Century. To this end, a massive re-organisation and membership drive is being undertaken at all levels including • Cell Levels at workplaces and community or dwelling places, Towns, Districts, Regional and National Levels. Alumni branches are called Chapters. Currently, there are Chapters in 10 regions in Ghana. Additionally, there are Chapters in Terna, Akosombo/Akuse and Obuasi; these are towns where KNUST alumni concentrations are high. There are also Chapters in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.
• Hall levels
• Professional Disciplines/ Faculty Levels
• Year Group/ Classmate Levels
Â
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Alumni Association are to afford its members an opportunity:
• To renew old acquaintances and reminiscences
• To participate actively in the administration of the University through representation in the University
• Council and its statutory bodies or committees mobilise resources (human, financial and material) in support of the University.
• To build the Alumni Jubilee Hostel to ease student accommodation on campus.
• To build a ROBUST DATABASE on the Alumni link to the KNUST WEBSITE, of ALL TEKNOKRATS WORLD WIDE and reach same with KNUST ; ALUMNI E-NEWS. (PLEASE REGISTER!!!)
• To pursue and facilitate THE BUILDING STRONGER ACADEMIA – INDUSTRIAL RELATIONSHIP (BSAIR) initiative with our Industrial Teknokrat GIANTS to ensure both Practical and attachment training for students both during School time and on Vacation to individual graduates and also for easy uptake of ALUMNI into employment after graduation. And most importantly to bridge the ACADEMIA – INDUSTRIAL GAP for Accelerated National Development.
• To actively engage our Potential Teknokrats - students in very meaningful, exciting and beneficial ways to as carefully and deliberately cultivate and nurture in them the affection for KNUST such that they will always remember with fond memories their experiences on Campus and be willing to join the older generation of Alumni to pull significant resource to KNUST.
• To this end the KNUST Mentorship Program was Launched on 24th July 2019 during the 53rd Congregation week. This KNUST Mentorship Program will be carried out in aa systematic manner with Continuing Students during the semester School time and then with the graduating class annually. During this annual interaction, the graduating class will be inducted into KNUST Alumni Association. A select group of each graduating will be coopted into the Global Council so that they liaise with older generation Of Teknokrats to make the association and its activities; programs more vibrant. It is envisaged that by deliberately engaging the younger generation of Teknokrats, the Association will grow from strength to strength and constantly renew itself to remain relevant to KNUST, Ghana, Africa and beyond.
Â
KNUST ALUMNI ENDOWMENT FUND
As part of the 70th Anniversary celebrations, and to accelerate the Alumni’s contributions towards learning, research and teaching at our alma mater, an endowment fund, dubbed 70@70, has been established. The fund aims to support the university in various ways including;
• scholarship for needy and deserving students
• retooling of faculties, studios and laboratories
• support for futuristic, energy conserving and environmentally sustainable infrastructure
Â
We target to raise a minimum of Fifteen Million Cedis (GHS 15,000,000) within the anniversary year to form the foundation for us to build on. I make this clarion call to all Alumni everywhere in the world to contribute multiples of 70 in any currency (Pounds, Dollars, Cedis, etc.) to make this fund a great success.
Many thanks to the many of you who have started to contribute already. We look forward to all other Alumni coming on board to contribute and support this fund in all the various ways possible.
Yes, together we can.
May I also take this opportunity to call on all Teknokrats to actively participate in the various activities that have been planned for the 70th Anniversary.Â