By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The UK-funded Ghana
Photonics and Optics Laboratory (GPOL) has been launched at the Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology (KNUST), marking a new milestone in
UK-Ghana collaboration in science, research and education.
The British High Commission
in Accra said the flagship research facility will provide students and
researchers with access to cutting-edge technology and new opportunities to
explore the potential of light-based technologies across a range of industries.
The launch brought together
partners and stakeholders, alongside His Majesty’s Trade Envoy to Africa, to
mark the establishment of the laboratory and its role in strengthening Ghana’s
research and innovation capacity.
The British High Commission
said the technologies that will shape the future depend on the researchers,
scientists and innovators being supported and developed today.
Through the Ghana Photonics
and Optics Laboratory, students and researchers will have access to advanced
technologies that can support research and exploration in photonics and optics,
areas that have applications across a range of industries.
The initiative forms part of
broader international partnerships through which the UK is supporting research
capacity, innovation and the development of conditions for long-term economic
growth in Ghana.
The British High Commission
said the collaboration reflects the strength of the partnership between the UK
and Ghana in science, research and education.
The launch also brought
together stakeholders from the research, education and innovation ecosystem,
highlighting the role of international collaboration in creating opportunities
for researchers and students and strengthening Ghana’s capacity to develop
technologies with potential applications across different sectors.
