On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, a delegation from the University of Lille paid a courtesy call on Professor Esmeranda Manful, Vice Dean of the International Programmes Office (IPO) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)), to explore collaborative opportunities in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Law.
The delegation arrived in Ghana on Monday, July 7, 2025, to initiate an academic partnership aimed at launching an AI and Law initiative in collaboration with KNUST’s Faculty of Law. As part of their visit, the team will deliver a public lecture on the topic: “Challenges and Lessons AI Has Faced in Europe.” The lecture will focus on the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues surrounding the development and deployment of AI across the European continent.
Professor Manful warmly welcomed the delegation and expressed the University’s enthusiasm for the initiative. She emphasized KNUST’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and highlighted that the University’s 2025 Summer School will be centered on Artificial Intelligence. She further noted KNUST’s growing leadership in AI engineering and application within the West African sub-region.
The visiting delegation from the University of Lille included Marcel Moritz, Associate Professor-HDR in Public Law, a distinguished scholar known for his work in digital governance, AI regulation, and comparative constitutional law. He was joined by Sophie Saar, Head of the International Office for the Faculty of Law, Political Science, and Economics who plays a key role in fostering global academic partnerships at Lille.
The delegation was later warmly received by members of KNUST’s Faculty of Law, including the Dean, Dr. Chris Adomako-Kwakye; Dr. Elisabeth Achampong; Dr. Jennifer Asare; and the Faculty Registrar, Mrs. Mavis Osei Boateng. Together, the team engaged in fruitful discussions on potential areas of academic collaboration, joint research, and student mobility between the two institutions.
Also present at the meeting was a team from the International Programmes Office, including Mrs. Yvonne Baiden, Senior Assistant Registrar; Attah Nyame Esampong, Visibility and Communication Officer; and Karikari Gyimah Ankoana, Inbound and Outbound Exchange Officer. Their participation underscored the IPO’s pivotal role in facilitating international partnerships and academic exchange.
The visit marks a significant step in building a long-term academic partnership between KNUST and the University of Lille. Both institutions expressed a strong commitment to fostering knowledge exchange and research collaboration at the intersection of law, technology, and global development.
