KNUST Local Brokerage Event

Press release

KNUST Local Brokerage Event

The KNUST Local Brokerage Event was held on Friday, 31 July 2026, at two venues on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus in Kumasi: the Prempeh II Library and the Department of Publishing Studies. The one-day event, which ran from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, was organised under the theme “Connecting Talent, Innovation Hubs and Organisations for Hands-On Learning and Employability.” It brought together undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic staff, Higher Education Institution innovation hubs, startups, public and private organisations, non-profit organisations and digital innovation professionals. The event supported the UNIHUBS project’s objective of strengthening connections between higher education, digital innovation ecosystems and labour-market needs. Its programme included registration and networking, an Action Learning briefing, a roundtable discussion on the local innovation ecosystem, presentations of hands-on opportunities, an opportunity marketplace, structured student–organisation matchmaking, participant reflection and the communication of follow-up actions. A total of 162 students participated in the event, comprising 130 undergraduate students and 32 postgraduate students. Female students accounted for 84 participants, representing approximately 51.9% of the student population, thereby meeting the minimum female participation target of 51%. The event also included 10 academic staff or HEI representatives, representatives from five innovation hubs or Digital Innovation Hubs, and three representatives from external organisations, bringing overall attendance to 180 participants. Seven hands-on opportunities were presented during the event, exceeding the minimum requirement of five opportunities. These included innovation challenges, social innovation initiatives, internships and collaborative or virtual project opportunities. Students ranked their top three opportunities and submitted brief motivation statements. A total of 150 preference forms were submitted, and the preliminary matching exercise generated 130 potential student–organisation matches.