The Faculty of Education and Communication Sciences at the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (USTED) has held its maiden International Conference on Education and Humanities in Kumasi, with a strong call to align education with future challenges.
The conference brought together scholars and practitioners to deliberate on reshaping the future of education, humanities, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and entrepreneurship.
Opening the conference, Prof. Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, Vice Chancellor of the University, described the event as a step toward a broader ambition of contributing to the global conversation on the purpose of education and how humanities, liberal arts, TVET, and entrepreneurship could be reimagined.
The conference was held on the theme: “Building Sustainable Futures: The Place of Education, Humanities and TVET.”
Prof. Sarfo noted that although significant progress had been made toward sustainable futures in areas such as ecosystem protection, biodiversity conservation, ocean sustainability, and forest preservation since the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, those efforts alone were insufficient.
“A sustainable future is one in which human beings themselves are sustainable. It is a future where the values, wisdom, ethical commitment, critical faculties, and cultural vitality of human civilization are transmitted across generations with care and intention,” he stressed.
According to him, the vision was for future generations to inherit not only clean air and a stable climate, but also the intellectual and moral capacity to use those resources wisely.
He said the maiden conference had laid the foundation for USTED to position itself as a hub for annual dialogue on education, humanities, and TVET in Ghana and beyond.
Prof. Faith Ben-Daniels, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Communication Sciences, said the faculty’s vision aligned with USTED’s goal of becoming a world-class, socially responsible TVET and entrepreneurial development teacher education university.
She explained that the faculty had positioned itself as the centre that connected various disciplines by providing quality pedagogical skills that harness practical human abilities to forge new pathways for sustaining human existence.
Prof. Ben-Daniels stressed the importance of Africa planning for the future through actions taken today.
“All aspects of education, in both formal and informal sectors, must be designed to solve tomorrow’s challenges and create a better world for the next generation,” she stated.
She added that the conference would become an annual gathering for stakeholders in education, social sciences, humanities, and TVET.
According to her, this year’s event attracted more than 250 registered participants and 150 presenters, with the faculty hoping to attract even more participants next year to share ideas on building a new and vibrant Africa.