As part of the third Ghana-France Higher Education Conference and following the efforts of both countries to cooperate in the field of higher education, Maison Francaise of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the French Embassy has inaugurated the Campus France Kumasi Office.
Paulo Pais, Director, Institut Francais du Ghana and Head of Cooperation and Cultural Affairs of the French Embassy and Oumou Diakitè, Deputy Head of Africa Unit, Campus France Agency, assisted by Professor William Otoo Ellis, cut the tape to officially open the office. The office is located in the New Examination Hall Complex and is managed by Celine Verhaeghe. It houses a computer and language laboratory, a resource centre and a library.
Prof. Ellis, Vice-Chancellor, said that the partnership between the French Embassy and KNUST dates back to a long time and has been fruitful and strong. The Department of Modern Languages and the College of Engineering notably the Electrical and Chemical Engineering Departments have benefited immensely from the partnership.
He said KNUST had a French Resource Centre which was transformed into the Maison Francaise and had now been enhanced into a Campus France Office. He expressed the University’s gratitude to the French Embassy for their continuous support in the promotion of higher education.
Mr. Pais said it was important to be abreast of information and activities in French and that was why the establishment of Campus France Office therefore became necessary to provide these.
Mrs. Oumou Diakitè expressed her gratitude to the management of the University and the Department of Modern Languages for allowing her agency to set up a campus unit. She stated that they seek to promote the French language, provide resources and to facilitate international study and mobility between France and other countries.