The Chairman of Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities in Ghana, Prof. Appiah Adinkrah, has made a passionate call for greater national investment in technical and vocational education, describing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as the cornerstone for Ghana’s industrial transformation, innovation, and sustainable development.
Delivering a powerful address at the opening of the Fourth Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities in Ghana, Prof. Adinkrah said the country’s growing infrastructure deficits, low industrial productivity, and rising demand for employable skills require urgent research-driven and technology-oriented solutions.
The conference, hosted by the Technical University sector and attended by President John Dramani Mahama as Special Guest of Honour, brought together researchers, academics, students, captains of industry, policymakers, and development partners from Ghana and beyond.
Speaking under the theme “Advancing TVET for Innovation, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development,” Prof. Adinkrah stressed that technical universities remain strategically positioned to help solve Ghana’s developmental challenges through practical education, applied research, and industry collaboration.
“Technical universities are not only centres for knowledge transmission. Our responsibility extends to developing skills, innovation, practical solutions, and entrepreneurship in ways that directly impact society and industry,” he said.
Prof. Adinkrah noted that the Technical Universities Act, 2016, and its subsequent amendment, mandate technical universities to provide competency-based training, practical-oriented teaching, industrial collaboration, innovation, and applied research tailored towards national development.
According to him, the conference represents the practical execution of that mandate.
He explained that the conference seeks to showcase applied research and innovation emerging from Ghana’s technical universities while strengthening collaboration among academia, industry, and government institutions.
“The conference promotes the translation of research into practical solutions that support national development and industrial transformation,” he said. The chairman further highlighted the increasing global recognition of TVET as a critical driver of economic growth, citing UNESCO’s position that technical and vocational education remains central to achieving sustainable development goals, particularly in quality education, decent work, and economic growth.
Prof. Adinkrah said Ghana’s technical universities must, therefore, reposition TVET as a catalyst for entrepreneurship, innovation, and industrial competitiveness.
He also underscored the broad scope of discussions at the conference, covering areas such as engineering, STEM education, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, FinTech, maritime studies, agriculture, entrepreneurship, tourism, environmental management, creative arts, and media technology integration into technical education.
Describing the conference as a major intellectual and national platform, he revealed that participation had exceeded expectations, with thousands of delegates expected to engage in research presentations, networking, and policy discussions.
Prof. Adinkrah used the occasion to commend President Mahama for his commitment to technical and vocational education and for personally attending the conference. He described the President’s presence as a strong signal of support for TVET and national transformation.
“This conference gives technical universities the opportunity to tell their own story and demonstrate their impact over the years,” he declared.
He expressed optimism that deliberations at the conference would produce evidence-based solutions, deepen innovation, and strengthen partnerships capable of accelerating Ghana’s industrial and technological advancement.
The Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities has increasingly become one of Ghana’s leading academic and innovation gatherings, serving as a platform for bridging the gap between research, industry, and national development priorities.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
