The Koforidua Technical University has launched the Centre for Sustainable Development (CenSuD) aimed at producing cutting-edge research and insights to advance global sustainable development.
The event was held on Friday, 2nd September 2022, at the Abba Bentil Theatre of the University at Koforidua.
According to the Dean of the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment, Dr. Prince Boateng, “the Centre’s major areas of focus would be performing cutting-edge research, offering advocacy and advisory services on policies related to the SDGs, and providing training and development based on feedback from industry and research outputs”.
Speaking to Agoo News, a lecturer at Koforidua Technical University Dr. Simon Ofori Ametepey said speakers and guests who participated in the launch included the Chairperson of Environment, Science and Technology Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Oforikrom Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, and the deputy ranking member of the public accounts committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Hon. Davis Opoku Ansah.
Also in attendance were Prof. Clinton Aigbavboa, who is a Professor and Director for the CIDB Centre of Excellence and Sustainable human settlement and Construction Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and Madam Joyce Larnyoh, who is a Co-Chairperson of the Ghana Civil Societies platform on Sustainable Development Goals and Country Director for International Child Development Program.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. David Kofi Essumang, who was the Chairman of the launch, urged academia, Civil society organizations (CSOs), and government to collaborate and collectively advance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure its attainment by 2030.
The Chairperson of the Environment, Science and Technology Committee of Parliament, who is also a Sustainability advocate, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, in his address, tasked academia and CenSuD with developing a framework for evaluating the performance of the various sectors of government on the achievement of the SDGs since Parliament has oversight responsibility over the executive.
On his part, Davis Opoku Ansah, MP for Mpraeso, also lauded the setting up of the Centre as timely as Parliament at the committee level requires such institutions to offer advisory services in policy and law-making.
The creation of CenSuD is a practical demonstration of the commitment of the Koforidua Technical University to contribute its quota toward finding long-term and innovative solutions to global and local problems.
Madam Joyce Larnyoh, on the part of Civil Society organization commended the University for establishing such a Centre. She stated that CSOs champion the lead and championing the SDGs in Ghana, but their efforts can yield fruitful results with the involvement of academia.
She, therefore, pledged the willingness of the CSOs’ platform on SDGs to collaborate with CenSuD in pursuing the implementation of the SDGs in Ghana.
The Director of the Sustainable Human Settlement and Construction Research Centre of the University of Johannesburg, in his presentation on “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” painted a dire picture of the current state of the planet and the situation of increasing levels of consumption as a result of the increase in population growth which is beyond the earth’s carrying capacity.
The Dignitaries, after the launch, commissioned the office of the Centre for Sustainable Development.
