British High Commissioner to Ghana Visits RAIL KNUST

The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, paid a working visit to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and toured the Responsible AI Lab to affirm the UK’s commitment to strengthening educational and innovation partnerships with Ghana. The visit highlighted the strategic and expanding ties between UK institutions and Ghanaian academia, especially in research, artificial intelligence (AI), and human capital development.

Welcomed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, the High Commissioner described her visit as long-awaited and expressed her admiration for the university’s role in advancing innovation and education in Ghana.

“The UK-Ghana partnership goes far beyond government-to-government relations,” she said. “It includes universities, innovation hubs, and organisations working together for mutual growth. I’m here to celebrate and explore ways to deepen these strong partnerships.”

Prof. Dickson reflected on the longstanding educational collaboration, citing her experience as a Commonwealth Scholar in the UK. She acknowledged the impact of scholarships and academic exchanges on faculty development and called for more opportunities, especially for young women and underrepresented groups. “Partnerships are the currency of progress,” she said. “While we build internal capacity, exposure and international collaboration enrich our system and foster diversity.”

Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab (RAIL), mentioned that RAIL is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and serves as a hub for the responsible application of AI to address challenges in agriculture, health, energy and education.

He said the lab ensures that AI is used ethically and inclusively to support the Sustainable Development Goals, build digital capacity, reach underserved communities, and shape national policy.

Prof Kponyo noted that RAIL is the implementing partner for key British High Commission initiatives, such as the Science, Technology, and Innovation Reporting for Media Excellence and the ongoing consultations for Ghana’s National AI Strategy, ensuring inclusive and policy-driven AI adoption.

The Commissioner was impressed by the depth of the work, noting its potential for real-world impact. She said. “This is the kind of innovation that changes lives, and we want to support it by helping to promote and scale it.”

The Vice-Chancellor reiterated KNUST’s readiness to expand collaborations and maintain active memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with UK institutions. The High Commissioner also emphasised the growing role of UK universities in Ghana’s academic ecosystem and expressed satisfaction with the direction of the partnership.

The visit ended with a tour of RAIL, reinforcing the mutual commitment to education-driven development between the UK and Ghana.