AGRIC SECTOR NEEDS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS — PROF ELLIS (PAGE 11, OCT 27, 2010)

THE Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor W.O. Ellis, has said that the agricultural sector in particular and the entire society are bedeviled with bottlenecks which needsustainable and innovative solutions.
He has, therefore, expressed the hope that, students of the Faculty of Forest Resources and Resources Technology (FFRT) of the Sunyani Campus of KNUST in the Brong Ahafo Region, will strive to acquire the needed skills, knowledge and attitudes to solve those myriad of problems confronting the agricultural sector.
‘‘You may be aware that, our entire society, especially, our agricultural sector is not without bottlenecks and those you experience in the course of your studies here on this campus are expected to introduce you to the broader problems that bedevil our society in general and the agricultural sector in particular that are yawning for sustainable and innovative solutions’’, he stressed.
Prof. Ellis made the observation when he addressed the 2010 matriculation ceremony of the FFRT at Fiapre, near Sunyani and said currently, the faculty was the only institution in the country that trained middle level manpower for the forestry sector.
In all, 97 fresh students, made up of 71 males and 26 females, representing 73 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, were admitted to the faculty this year, bringing the total student population to almost 400.
He said the Institute of Distance Learning admitted 150 students for the Sunyani Centre, who were also matriculated at the ceremony, which was attended by traditional authorities from Fiapre.
The Vice Chancellor reminded the students that, their first pre-occupation was to study to acquire degrees from the university and all other things ought to be considered secondary and said that statement did not mean they should not participate in co-curricular activities.
Giving the college by college rankings for the KNUST, Prof. Ellis revealed that, the College of Arts and Sciences admitted the highest number of students this year, accounting for 31 per cent of students, followed by the College of Engineering with 16 per cent of students while the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources admitted 13 per cent, Health Sciences 10 per cent and the College of Architecture and Planning, admitting eight per cent.
He noted that 475 students were studying for various degrees through the distance learning mode and expressed the hope to expand the frontiers of the Institute of Distance Learning and E-Learning Centre, which was inaugurated recently, to afford a lot more opportunities for science and technology.
According to him, the university authorities were fully aware of the number of problems confronting the Sunyani Campus, including academic facilities and transportation, adding that, the academic board was also giving serious consideration to the restructuring of the three-year diploma programme to entice more students.