GCTU Signs MoU With AyaHQ for collaboration in empowering startups, tech innovation and entrepreneurship
GCTU has signed an MoU with AyaHQ for collaboration in empowering startups, tech innovation and entrepreneurship to unlock potential and students’ exposure to global talent opportunities on Thursday, 6th June 2024 in the Vice Chancellor’s boardroom at the main campus.
The partnership aims at creating a talent standard to enable global companies to trust African Web3 talents, co-create founders’ pipelines for funding and turn students into founders of Ghana’s economy. It is also to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems and to foster a strong relationship between the two institutions.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, described the MoU as “a very good opportunity” for GCTU to further its mandate to produce technology graduates. According to him, it would help with creativity in the innovation process and space where students can generate new ideas and solutions.
He briefed the AyaHQ Team on how GCTU has transitioned from a private institution to a fully-fledged public university through an Act of parliament. “Now we are a fully-fledged university with a specific mandate in the area of ICT. Even though we have that as a mandate, we also have the Business School and other faculty disciplines running alongside,” he said.
Prof. Afoakwa emphasized, that plans are far advanced to set up a centre for innovation, technology, skills and entrepreneurship training that will equip students with the knowledge and competencies needed for innovation and technology adoption. He observed that the centre will enhance the abilities of individuals, improve performance, efficiency and effectiveness in various roles and industries.
He added that procurement processes have started for the purchase of 120 computers for the training centre. Prof. Afoakwa noted, that GCTU has developed new innovative programmes not offered by other universities. He expressed hope that the implementation of the MoU would enable the students to benefit from industry training and go to build very successful careers for themselves.
The founder and C.E.O of AyaHQ, Mr. Eric Annan, stated that AyaHQ is focused on unearthing the human capital in enabling them to become value creators. “Technology is fast growing in the world and we believe that the youth of Africa, especially Ghana has the quality, knowledge and capacity, but all they need is a platform where they can leverage their ideas that are being turned off,” he said.
Mr. Annan indicated that this partnership would help GCTU to become an innovation playground. “We believe that a university is a place where people acquire or gain knowledge. Mark Zuckerberg at the age of 18 years founded Facebook while he was in the university. Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google founders) started when they were both doing their PhDs in the university. Therefore, we are bringing this concept embedded with the African culture,” he said.
Mr. Annan elaborated, that AyaHQ refines ideas and makes it commercially viable through raising funding and building value creators and enablers of industries.
Earlier, the Head of the Industrial Liaison Department, Dr. Ahmed Antwi-Boampong gave an overview of the partnership and the efforts that culminated in the drafting of the MoU. He acknowledged the heavy involvement of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Robert Ebo Hinson.
