All Nations University leads 8 African countries to build first satellites
The All Nations University (ANU) in Koforidua is currently leading experts from eight African countries to develop the first constellation of small satellites to help solve environmental problems in Africa.
The university’s African Constellation Satellite project has brought together a group of engineers and scientists to work together to design and build satellites to monitor floods, forest degradation, climate-related issues and pest invasion.
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The project is to enable Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cape Verde and Uganda to develop the first satellites for their respective countries.
The project followed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the ANU signed with various institutions from the participating countries to undertake the project.
New grounds
The President of the ANU, Dr Samuel H. Donkor, who disclosed this at the launch of the university’s 20th anniversary in Koforidua last Wednesday said, “All Nations University continues to break barriers as we set up the first digitised industrial tour and virtual reality learning at the Space Systems Technology Laboratory on campus.
The digital tour and virtual reality learning facility, which was developed by the ANU Space Systems Technology (ANU-SSTL), received recognition from the African Union (AU) as one of the top 50 innovations for education in Africa in 2021.
New programme
The President of the ANU said the university was also working towards the introduction of a programme in Bachelor of Sciences (B.SC) in Emergency Medicine Technology, which would be launched by next academic year.
He also hinted that the university had welcomed transfer students from the Madina Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Accra to study Oil and Gas Engineering programme.
Highlighting some of the achievements the university had chalked up so far, Dr Donkor said the ANU became a chartered institution with all its programmes fully accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), including its graduate school, which awards Master’s degree.
Accra campus
Seeking to expand its presence in Accra, Dr Donkor said the ANU had signed an MOU with the Maranatha University College (MUC) to set up a campus to operate at the MUC campus to bring education to the doorstep of many people.
On physical education, he said the university had created enough space to provide a soccer training field for students, explaining that “the idea is to put up shelters around the training pitch for sports, entertainment and student activity centre to enhance student life on campus.”
CNN coverage
Dr Donkor also hinted that one of the leading global media houses, CNN international, which had been tracking the university’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach programme to senior high schools, would “visit our campus to do a documentary on our STEM outreach”.
Remarkable impact
In a speech read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, lauded the university for providing students with quality education.