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Prof Christian Agyare

As we come to the end of another successful year at the College of Health Sciences, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all our staff, partners and students for their dedication and commitment to excellence this year.

This year brought its own set of challenges, but together we have overcome them. 2023 has been an exceptional year with new and unprecedented events not only with the College of Health Sciences but KNUST as a whole. This time of the year is used to reflect and acknowledge the work, challenges, and achievements.

The College of Health Sciences organized several events in 2023, attended by a significant number of staff and students. Notable amongst them was our flagship Biennial Scientific Conference. It brought together health professionals and scientists across the globe to deliberate on the health issues of global concern based on the theme, "Promoting Lives and Wellbeing.” Also, the College organized the Maiden Postgraduate Conference which gathered Masters and PhD students to present and discuss their research work and ideas with established researchers in KNUST. It was also aimed at exposing graduate students not just to their departments or College but to the outside world and also to show the progress of their work. The College of Health Sciences in actualizing its all-inclusive approach organized an integrated two-day working retreat for all Senior and Junior Staff at the Boadi Medical Enclave under the theme “Reflect, Recharge and Reinvent: a Senior and Junior Staff Retreat for Personal and Professional Growth.” Also, the College of Health Sciences organized a four-day retreat for members of the College Board at the Rock City Hotel at Kwahu-Nkwatia to provide moments for reflection and to recharge for better performance.

College of Health Sciences continues to attract grants to undertake various research activities. The College through its hardworking faculty Members was able to attract a total research grant of almost 3.6 million US dollars during the year under review and was adjudged the best Research College at the 2023 KNUST Research Excellence Awards.

In the present fast-paced and interconnected tertiary education landscape, collaboration is an essential tool for students and faculty to increase their self-awareness, boost creativity, and improve academic awareness. In this respect, the College engaged in a number of collaborations during the academic year. The College, on 9th October 2023, had extensive discussions with the Management of the University of Eastern Finland to explore new ways of deepening the existing collaboration between them.

In this same spirit, on the 1st of November 2023, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor also inaugurated the New School of Nursing and Midwifery. The new School which hitherto was a Department under the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences now has four departments: Nursing, Midwifery, Public Health Nursing, and Critical Care Nursing.

I am proud of what we have achieved together this year and I am confident that we will continue to make a positive impact in the years to come. As we look forward to the New Year, let us continue to uphold the values of excellence that define our College.

I wish you all a joyful holiday season and a happy new year. Thank you all for your support.

Professor Christian Agyare

(Provost, College of Health Sciences – KNUST)