Pentecost University (PU) has launched five unique Engineering programs to develop the professional and requisite skills aimed at changing the engineering market across the world.
The new programmes include; B.Eng Robotics and Automation Engineering, B.Eng Electricals and Electronics Engineering, B.Eng Systems Engineering, B.Eng Manufacturing Engineering and B.Eng Environmental Engineering.
This makes PU the first indigenous Ghanaian University to start industry-focused B.Eng programmes on its own, according to the school.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, August 17, 2023 in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour remarked that a profound prophecy by the founder of the Pentecost Church, Rev. James Mckeown had come to pass after seventy years.
He said that the church would raise a center where people from different countries will come together to seek knowledge.
Today, “we are proud to say that the PU has over seventeen countries represented in the school, seeking knowledge and contributing to the ongoing innovations,” he added.
He commended the founders of the University and the authorities for the great transformation, under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Aps. Prof. Kwabena Agyapong–Kodua.
The Deputy Minister, who was speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum added that, the leadership of the university should reposition the institution, to duly respond to the fourth industrial revolution era, an era of innovation and being driven by technology.
According to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South Constituency, “we are in the fourth Industrial Revolution era where the global push for industry is 4.0 and of course, if we want to train to feed the industry’s 4.0– it means we must reposition and restructure our education to represent it.
“We at the Ministry of Education have a vision to raise and equip our population with the required skill to make a difference”, he said, adding that “we are in the twenty first century era, therefore, our education system must respond to the twenty first century needs.”
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Aps. Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, in his presentation called both the public and private organisations to enrol and train some of their staff in the engineering programs of the university, as it is a way of evolving with advanced technologies.
He reiterated that, his work experience with various companies over the past years has thought him that integrity, character and skill has always been a leadership tool needed to develop and build upon innovations.
Aps. Agyapong-Kodua added that, the type of engineering programs the school runs can provide services for all institutions and it has pre-engineering programs for members of the public, who have no science or engineering background but have interest in Engineering.
“It is my hope that in the near future, all plumbers, carpenters and other artisans will go through skillful transformation for the development of Ghana,” he said.
Delivering his goodwill message, Mark Hammah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mark Hammah Engineering Company Ltd., explained that, the company is ever ready to contribute their quota to the success of the new introduced programs.
He urged the university to move above the usual systems currently running by most universities to be more proactive and practically oriented in delivering their programmes.
The event also saw the exhibition of technical and engineering innovations by stakeholders of the industry and some past students of the university.
In an interview with an Innovator, who is also a past student of the Pre-Engineering program at PU, Yaw B. Frimpong, who had his engineering products on display at the fair, explained that he built everything he had on display from indigenous materials he found around him.
He said “Every product you are seeing here, including the Bluetooth speaker, bedside lamp, radio set, etc., were all built with materials that will be thrown away, but he collects and recycles them to create something new out of them.”
