The purpose of putting the coal pots on display was not to brag about Kumasi Technical University

The purpose of the display of coal pots made by first-year engineering students at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) was to highlight the students’ abilities in designing and molding working coal pots for their academic projects, rather than to boast about the accomplishments of the university.

“I am putting it on record that I am the Head of Department of the Automotive and Agricultural Mechanization Engineering Department. I am saying that that particular thing on social media is not meant or was not meant to tout our achievement.”

“This is not an achievement, the welding of coal pots; it is something that they [students] have done, and we have to be proud of them, but it is not an achievement.”

“An achievement is one of these things: an electric vehicle with a different design or arrangement. That is what we want them to know, because we have not finished this one [electric vehicle], which is why it is not even coming out,” the Head of Department of the Automotive and Agricultural Mechanization Engineering Department at Kumasi Technical University said in a television interview on GHOne TV.

“As a country, we have to start somewhere and end somewhere. We are worried, but we know God will really see us through in these difficult times,” he stated.

He was responding to an article that said first-year students at Kumasi Technical University were shaping coal pots to change campus sustainability.

The release of the news article showcasing the students’ talents has sparked a variety of public discussions, particularly on social media. Many have minimized the students’ project work by pointing out that roadside artisans in Accra’s Kokompe and Kumasi Suame magazines have been molding coal pots for years despite having very little engineering training.

The department head revealed that they were developing an electric car with a unique layout and design, but no one was aware of it as the project wasn’t finished.

During the TV interview, he displayed the aforementioned electric car.

Context

First-year engineering students at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) demonstrated their abilities by developing and molding working coal pots as part of their academic projects, which the university refers to as “a remarkable display of ingenuity and collaboration”.

The students in the Automotive Engineering department went beyond what was taught in the classroom to investigate creative solutions.

The group started molding the coal pots under the direction of Gladys Cobbinah and her associates.

According to a release by the University Relations Office on the university’s website, “their commitment and cooperation were evident as they successfully presented their creation to the university management.”

The August 11, 2023, publication on the KsTU website called it “fueling innovation.”

Gladys Cobbinah conveyed her appreciation for the university’s Engineering Department’s steadfast support.

She emphasized how their teamwork enabled them to turn an idea into a workable invention.

“We were able to create this coal pot with the help of our department and my fellow coworkers. It’s evidence of the university’s dedication to supporting hands-on learning,” Cobbinah remarked.

The coal pots were given to the registrar and his staff, demonstrating the pupils’ practical knowledge.

The University Relations Office article, which Graphic Online was able to view, said that the creative designs and useful prototypes demonstrated the university’s concentration on the real-world application of theoretical knowledge.

These creative coal pots would be thoughtfully given out to university employees. It went on to say that this not only demonstrated the students’ inventiveness but also offered the university community a long-term answer.

During a brief ceremony, the university’s Registrar, Mr. Ebenezer Kofi Boakye, accepted the coal pots on behalf of the school and expressed appreciation for the students’ work. He also underlined the significance of fostering an innovative and creative culture inside the university.

Kumasi Technical University is still a center for progressive education, encouraging students to contribute to real-world problems and think beyond the classroom. It continued, citing the accomplishments of these first-year students in building working coal pots as an encouraging illustration of the university’s dedication to supporting hands-on learning and creativity.

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