Sunyani: Dr Jorg LongmuB, an International Research and Management Consultant at the SUSTAINUM INSITUT in Germany, has called upon universities across Africa to establish robust partnerships to address the continent’s pressing challenges. He emphasized that African universities must not operate in isolation if they wish to effectively confront and solve emerging issues.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr LongmuB shared these insights during a media engagement on the sidelines of the closing session of the ‘Professional Education for Renewable Energy in Ghana (ProREG)’ project. This event took place at the Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES) at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani. RCEES, a World Bank-funded African Centre of Excellence, is dedicated to addressing critical energy and sustainability needs both within Africa and globally.
The ProREG project, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), spanned from 2022 to 2025. It aimed to enhance the labor market relevance of education in renewable energy in Ghana. Key partners in this initiative included Technische Universit¤t Berlin (TUB, Coordinator), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and UENR. The project successfully integrated new practice-relevant modules into the curricula of KNUST and UENR, while equipping lecturers with experience in agile teaching and practical applications of renewable energies.
Dr LongmuB highlighted that African universities operating independently have not benefitted developing countries in the continent. He urged these institutions to build strong networks and share ideas to meet Africa’s development needs. He remarked on the dominance of international forces buying raw materials cheaply from Africa and selling them back as finished products at higher prices. Dr LongmuB stressed that with strong collaborations, African universities could enhance their capacity to transform the continent’s raw materials into valuable finished products.
Professor Dr Osvaldo Romero Romero from the University of Applied Sciences, Berlin School of Technology, also urged Ghana to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry. He noted that such partnerships would help graduates adapt and position the nation to add value to its raw materials.
Earlier, Prof Elvis Asare Bediako, Vice-Chancellor of UENR, stated that the project had developed and piloted new practice-oriented teaching modules in renewable energy while equipping lecturers with innovative, agile teaching methods. He emphasized the importance of strong partnerships between academia, industry, and international experts, which created opportunities for students to engage with real-world renewable energy projects and enhance their employability.
Prof Asare-Bediako expressed optimism that the project’s impacts would be sustained through new initiatives, strengthened curricula, and long-term cooperation between universities, industry, and the government.