The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, lent his presence to the 14th Global Biennial Congress and Alumni Homecoming of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a gathering that drew graduates, university leaders, chiefs and students to Kumasi on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The occasion gave former students a chance to return to the campus that shaped them, renew old bonds and think together about how they can help the university grow. Its most visible outcome was the award of full scholarships to nine students under the KNUST Alumni Scholarship Scheme.
A Homecoming With Royal Weight
Otumfuo’s attendance gave the congress both traditional and national stature. The gathering centred on deepening the relationship between KNUST and the graduates it has sent into the world.
Held every two years, the congress is a moment for alumni to look back at the institution that launched their careers. This time, organisers also pressed them to look forward, asking what experience, expertise and resources they could put into the university’s progress.
For a university known for science, technology and engineering, a loyal and engaged alumni body is part of how it sustains itself over the long term.
Nine Students, Full Scholarships
The scholarship presentation was a defining moment of the congress. Through the Alumni Scholarship Scheme, nine students received full awards, a sign of what graduates can do when they pool their goodwill and resources.
For many students, tuition and other academic costs are a real obstacle, and financial support can decide whether they stay on course. The presentation also tied current students to those who walked the same corridors before them, showing that the value of a university education reaches beyond the lecture hall.
Nine is a modest number, but the larger point is the pipeline it represents. Every student supported today is a future professional or leader who may one day return the favour.
The programme drew speakers and guests from several spheres of national life. Addresses came from Dr Herman Yobo Addae, Global President of the KNUST Alumni Association; Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry; and Professor Marian Nkansah, Dean of Students.
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Nananom of the Kumasi Traditional Council were present, underlining the long-standing ties between the university and traditional authority in the Ashanti Region. Mr Michael Owusu Amoako, Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, represented the Ashanti Regional Minister. KNUST management, alumni and students rounded out the gathering.
The congress made a plain case for partnership between universities and their graduates. Alumni can give through scholarships, mentorship, professional networking, research collaboration and other forms of support.
For students, those links open doors: a chance to learn from seasoned practitioners and to tap networks that remain useful long after graduation. The nine scholarships showed how that engagement can become direct support for education.
With chiefs, government officials, university leaders and graduates in one place, the 14th congress made a collective case for backing KNUST’s academic mission and the generation now coming through its gates.