The Kwame Nkrumah University (KNUST), arguably one of the best universities on the African continent is a Ghanaian public university primarily focused on science education. The school is situated in Kumasi, the capital town of the Ashanti Region in Ghana.
The university was birthed out of an effort towards modernization by the then King of the Ashanti Region, Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh the first. His younger brother, Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh took up the mantle to see to the success of this vision.
Thus, in 1949, the dream of the Prempehs became a reality when building started on what was to be called the Kumasi College of Technology.
The University was formerly known as the Kumasi College of Technology and offered admission to students with the passion to study engineering in 1951 and was affiliated to the University of London
The School officially launched out on 22 January, 1952; starting off with about 200 teacher training students who had been transferred from Achimota.
Following this, the School of Engineering and the Department of Commerce were established. Other departments like the Agriculture department, pharmacy department and a General studies department were then established to cater for students interested in these disciplines. In 1957 there was an inauguration of the School of Architecture, Town Planning and Building.
As a result of the surge in the student population, the school decided to step up and officially become a purely science and technology institution. This drive pushed the management to transfer students outside the discipline of science to neighbouring institutions in a bid to mainly focus on the science students.
A proposal to make the college an independent university was submitted; and under the supervision of R.P Baffour, this dream became a reality on the August 22, 1961. The college was transformed into a university, and was named in an honour of the first president of Ghana – His Excellency Dr. Kwame Nkrumah; Thus the name Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The university, overtime has evolved to become one of the best universities across the world with the latest Times Higher Education impact ranking 2022 placing the school as number one in Africa and 14th worldwide.
KNUST has shown excellence and served as a pacesetter for a number of honorary awards. The university was the first in West Africa to have won the Pan African University Debate for three consecutive times (2018, 2019, and 2020). The school also boasts of being the first university in Ghana to win the Ghana national rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
Some notable alumni of the school include, former vice president of Ghana, Aliu Mahama; Former UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan; Edward Kwame Wiredu, former Chief of Staff; Amma Darko, Chris Attoh, Honourable Yaw Osafo Marfo, amng many others.