On Monday, September 29, 2025, a team of MPhil students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), led by Dr. Henry Martin of the Department of Physics, paid a courtesy call on Professor Esmeranda Manful, Vice Dean of the International Programmes Office (IPO), following their return from an 11-month exchange programme in Mathematical and Computational Physics at University of L’Aquila, Italy.
Professor Manful warmly welcomed the five students back to campus, commending them for representing KNUST with distinction. She encouraged them to translate the lessons and exposure gained into innovative contributions within their fields of study. She further reaffirmed the IPO’s commitment to advancing student mobility and expanding international partnerships that create transformative opportunities for KNUST students for global impact.
The students shared their experiences by highlighting how the educational experience in Italy broadened their perspectives on global learning and cultural diversity. They noted the benefits of engaging with new teaching approaches and collaborating with international peers, describing the experience as both enlightening and transformative.
While acknowledging these positives, the students also spoke candidly about challenges such as adapting to unfamiliar teaching styles, overcoming language barriers, and adjusting to a different culture. They emphasized, however, that these challenges strengthened their confidence, resilience, and cross-cultural adaptability. The team expressed deep appreciation to KNUST and the IPO for facilitating such an enriching academic and cultural exchange.
The meeting concluded on an optimistic note, with both the Vice Dean and the students expressing confidence in building stronger collaborations and expanding the University’s global reach.
Present at the meeting were Mr. Joel Mensah, Inbound and Outbound Exchange Officer, IPO; and Ms. Ernestine Oheneba Danso, Collaborations and Partnerships Officer, IPO.
