Dinner, Awards, and Closing Ceremony: 3rd Biennial ARCTUG 2024

THEME: University, Industry, And Government Partnership For Accelerating Innovation And Entrepreneurship For National Development.

Research is a major tool that propels humanity to discover the unknown. Through research, we can explore the world from different perspectives for growth and development. In contemporary development discourse, research has become the impetus that enhances social and economic growth through innovation and creativity. In supporting this agenda, the Technical Universities in Ghana, whose mandate is to provide competency-based training through Technical Vocational and Educational Training (TVET) have contributed to various debates and knowledge by undertaking cutting-edge research and coming out with innovations, inventions, and creativity through the Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities in Ghana (ARCTUG). In this regard, Sunyani Technical University hosted the 3rd Biennial Meeting of the Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities in Ghana (ARCTUG, 2024) from May 28 to June 1, 2024. The main theme of the conference was University, Industry, And Government Partnership For Accelerating Innovation And Entrepreneurship For National Development.

The conference had eleven main activities: A pre-conference workshop, an Opening and exhibition, three different sessions of parallel oral presentations, virtual presentations, poster display and business/networking activity, a panel workshop/discussion activity, plenary, dinner/awards/closing ceremony, and visits to tourists attraction sites in the two Bono regions. On behalf of the LOC, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana, for honouring our invitation as the Special Guest of Honour. I also thank the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who was the Guest of Honour on the occasion, and the Honourable Bono Regional Minister, Madam Justina Owusu Banahene, who attended as the Guest Speaker. Again, I thank the Chairman of the Vice-Chancellors of Technical Universities in Ghana, Sir Prof Elias N. K. Sowley, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Dr Hilla Limann Technical University, Wa, Ghana. The Vice-Chancellor of the Host University (i.e. Sunyani Technical University), Ing Prof Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, also deserves my appreciation for the maximum support and encouragement he gave to the LOC. I also thank all the Vice-Chancellors of the other eight technical universities in Ghana -ATU, BTU, CCTU, HTU, KTU, KsTU, TaTU, and TTU. I acknowledge the support of the LOC members and the various Campus Coordinators.

I thank the keynote speakers, who were selected from academia and industry. I acknowledge all the authors who submitted various abstracts for presentation. I thank all the professionals who chaired the several break-out rooms. I appreciate the support of the workshop facilitators, the panel workshop members, and the moderators. Again, I thank our Advisory Board, the Scientific Review Board, the Editorial Review Board, the Administrative and Secretarial Board, the Front Desk/Registration Attendants, our active Rapporteurs, the Protocol, the Booth Managers, and the Break-Out Room Managers, who supported the conferences in diverse ways. Lastly, I express my heartfelt appreciation to all the staff and students of the ten technical universities for their unflinching support for the success of this conference. I hope that ARCTUG 2026 will be bigger and greater than the three previous ones. God bless you all.

Prof Edward Owusu
(PhD, MBA, MPhil, MA, B.Ed)
Chairman, LOC (ARCTUG2024)