RAIL KNUST To Partner with Panoply Digital on Data Upskilling and Certification

The Responsible AI Lab (RAIL) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has initiated collaborative activities with Panoply Digital on data upskilling and certification.

Dr. Ronda Zelezny–Green, Co-founder and Director, Belinda Baah, Ghana Country Director and Jessica Brown, Head of Communications from Panoply Digital visited RAIL on the 21^st and 22^nd January 2024. They toured the lab and interacted with researchers on the various AI solutions developed.

Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Principal Investigator and Scientific Director, RAIL, said the fourth industrial revolution is a digital revolution, and the lab focuses on building digital capacity. He introduced the RAIL projects and solutions in the application of AI in agriculture, health, energy and the responsible use of AI.

“RAIL creates AI solutions that impact society and aid the differently abled. The lab collects and generates Afrocentric datasets for local solutions and advocates for the usage of Afrocentric datasets by researchers.”

Dr. Henry Nunoo-Mensah, Programmes Coordinator and Health Theme Lead, RAIL, spoke about RAIL’s digital Imaging, wound classification and assistive technology solutions.

Dr. Eric TutuTchao, Partnership Coordinator and Agriculture and Food Security Theme Lead, RAIL, mentioned RAIL’s Robotics Training programme for Junior High and Senior High Schools, which builds local and young talent and increases female enrollment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). He highlighted the application for detecting adulterated palm oil and crop diseases developed by researchers in the lab.

Dr. Ronda Zelezny–Green, Co-founder and Director of Panoply Digital, said organisations must prioritise data literacy as a fundamental skillset.

“By embracing transformative, Afrocentric, and practical courses, we can empower individuals and organisations to responsibly collect, manage, analyse, and leverage data effectively, turbocharging the potential to drive positive change across multiple sectors in Ghana and beyond.”

Both teams agreed to roll out data upskilling short courses with certification from KNUST and Panoply Digital, work on an MoU to formalise the collaboration between RAIL KNUST and Panoply Digital and work on grant applications together.