Northern Ireland's Ulster University Team Strengthens Partnership with KNUST

A delegation from Ulster University, Northern Ireland, including Dr. Aaron Courtenay, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy, and Dr. Ahmed Abuelhana, Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacy Practice, visited Professor Daniel Y. A. Duah, Dean of the International Programmes Office (IPO), at KNUST on May 21, 2024. They were joined by Dr Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng, Senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine and Family Physician at University Hospital, who leads the antimicrobial stewardship programme. Dr Ayisi-Boateng highlighted the collaborative efforts between the University Hospital, the School of Pharmacy, and Ulster University in the UK, supported by funding from the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association and Tropical Health and Education Fund, UK, for an antimicrobial stewardship programme initiated in late 2021.

The team's visit was to further enhance this partnership and broaden its impact across various disciplines. The team emphasized accomplishments under the partnership, including five joint research publications since signing the Memorandum of Understanding.

Professor Duah, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and University Management, extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He underscored KNUST's recent recognition as a top university for quality education in line with Sustainable Development Goal Four, attributing this success partly to collaborative efforts and initiatives supporting persons with disabilities. Professor Duah expressed optimism about expanding the partnership and wished the team a productive visit.

Also present were Dr Obed Amponsah, Co-Lead of the antimicrobial stewardship programme at University Hospital and affiliated with the Department of Pharmacy Practice; Ms Ernestine Oheneba Danso, Collaborations and Partnerships Officer; and Mr Joseph Owusu Amoako, Visibility and Communications Officer, representing the International Programmes Office.