The maiden seminar was held on 3rd September 2021. Participants included students and faculty members from the network Colleges of Engineering. Members of the International Advisory and Industrial Advisory Boards of the KNUST Engineering Education Project (KEEP) also participated in the symposium. Also in attendance were members of the Regional Facilitation Unit that is the Association of African Universities (AAU).
THE Network Coordinator, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo and the Project Manager for the ACE Impact Project, Dr. Sylvia Mkandawire both expressed delight at a key milestone being achieved which is the maiden symposium. They were very optimistic that continuous collaboration will lead to a synergy that will affect engineering education in the Africa sub-region in a positive manner.
The Guest Presenter was Prof. Francis Kemausuor, the Research Coordinator who gave a presentation on Renewable Energy Opportunities for Economic Growth in West Africa. The areas Prof. Kemausuor covered in his presentation were:
- Energy and Economic Development
- The case for Renewables in West Africa
- Renewable Energy Resources in the region
- Renewable Energy for Industrial Power Supply
- Ongoing Projects at the national level
- Policy and Planning
- Research needs
Details of Prof. Kemausuor’s presentation can be found on the WASEND website (wasend.org)
Six postgraduate students under the network gave presentations in the following under listed areas:
- Vulnerability of Renewable Energy and Digital Economy growth in West Africa
- Assessment of the Aboveground Biomass and the Vegetative Carbon Dioxide Sequestration of Bamboo Plants in Ghana using an Allometric Model
- Evaluation of photovoltaic power prediction performance of a neural network based on input data
- Analysis of the climatic parameters and their influences on wind regimes in the eastern Niger
- Prediction of wind speed using artificial neural networks
- Well-to-tank life cycle analysis of aviation biofuel from rubber seed oil
Participants posed relevant questions and offered suggestions that will help enrich the research thesis of the postgraduate students. There were two breakout sessions under the energy and digital thematic areas. The next symposium will be hosted by the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Burkina Faso in the month of November.