A seminar for students offering engineering programmes at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to commemorate the International Day of Engineering was held on Saturday.
The focus of the seminar was to sensitise aspiring and existing engineering students about the contribution of engineers to society and to also inspire them to stay in the field.
It was attended by at least 748 engineering students and aspiring engineering students from six senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis and students from KNUST.
Karpowership Ghana and the Ghana Commission for the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) jointly held the event.
World Engineering Day is a global celebration of how engineers, technicians, and technologists make a difference and solve problems. UNESCO's General Conference proclaimed the March 4, World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development during its 40th session in November 2019.
This year's event was on the theme: 'Engineering innovation for a more resilient world'.
The communications Manager of Karpowership Ghana, Ms Sandra Amarquaye praised engineers for their contribution to development, adding that Karpowership was committed to whipping up the interest of Ghanaian students in engineering.
"As part of our corporate social responsibility. We have instituted a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy students at the engineering department of Takoradi Technical University. We also have a mentorship programme which aims at empowering the young child. Over 400 students have benefited from this initiative," she said.
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The Chief Operating Officer at the Ghana Commission of UNESCO, Mr Appolonuis Asare said UNESCO saw the need to observe the March 4, every year as World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED4SD) because of how vital engineering was to our world.
On this day, engineers from all over the world reflect on their contribution to advancing knowledge in their field and how they achieved global impact through technology transfer, and training opportunities.
The Provost at the College of Engineering at KNUST, Prof. Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko spoke to the students on the role engineering students can play in national development.
"Our basic mandate as engineers and aspiring engineers is to identify problems and innovatively provide solutions to such complex problems. Engineering makes the world go round and innovation is the backbone of all engineering," he said.
