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Prof Acakpovi, aspiring Evangelist leading ATU’s transformation drive
Since his appointment as Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Accra Technical University (ATU) in July 2023, Engr. Prof Amevi Acakpovi has set out on a transformative agenda geared at making the institution one of the best on the continent and the world.
His vision was to consolidate ATU’s position as the premier technical university in Ghana and brand it as the topmost technical university in Africa.
To achieve that, he has initiated processes to support human capacity development, seeking grants to re-tool laboratories, workshops and the library.
He is also working towards the establishment of a vibrant and dynamic graduate school at ATU.
Backed by a strong international network, his ambition is to promote national and international partnerships for increased visibility and promote stronger collaborations between the university and its key stakeholders.
Also with his Information Communication and Technology (ICT) background, Prof Acakpovi has shown keen interest in building a strong educational resilience in ATU by integrating sustainable virtual learning modules, with his research aspirations focused on making the university a technology hub; using applied research of all kinds and solving societal problems.
Engr. Prof Amevi Acakpovi is a Ghanaian citizen, a Professor in Electrical and Energy Systems Engineering. He is a Fellow Professional Engineer from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from the Lokossa Institute of Technology (Republic of Benin) in 2006, a Masters’ Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Abomey-Calavi University (Republic of Benin) in 2009 and a PhD in Energy Systems Engineering from a joint collaboration between Accra Institute of Technology and the Open University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.
Additionally, Prof Acakpovi holds a Certificate in Doctoral Supervision at African Universities from the Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 2019 and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Higher Education with Distinction from the Coventry University, UK in 2018.
Prof Amevi Acakpovi has served in many prominent positions in ATU including, Head of Electrical/ Electronics Engineering Department (2012- 2018), Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (2018-2020) and the Pro Vice-Chancellor from 2020 till date.
Originally from the field of Electrical, Electronic and Energy Systems Engineering, Prof Acakpovi’s areas of research include Hybrid Energy Systems, Mini and Microgrid Optimization, Smart Grid Modelling and Optimization, Solar and Wind Energy Modelling and Optimization, Artificial Intelligence in Energy Systems and Recommender Systems.
He is the author of more than 120 publications in International Journals including IEEE conferences, and transactions as well as other SCI-Indexed and EIIndexed journals.
He has experience in teaching and learning at the Graduate and undergraduate levels. He has taught extensively Masters’ level courses and supervised more than 50 MSc. thesis, and five PhD thesis from various recognized Universities.
He has consistently acted as an external PhD thesis reviewer/ assessor in his field of studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, the KNUST, UENR in Ghana, and the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin.
He was recently honoured as an international tutor for the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) owing to his remarkable contributions in cosupervising PhD students and leading them to publications in top journals.
Prof Acakpovi was a recipient of many awards and laurels including the award of Excellence in Research and Development Leadership by the Solar quarter Grandmaster Award in February 2023; the award of the Decade Researcher at the Applied Research Conference in Africa (ARCA) in August 2021 and the Stairs’ Award of Distinguished Professor in Electrical Engineering, at Pune, India in December 2021.
He received in 2018, the Best Paper Award at the 7th IEEE International Conference on Adaptive Science and Technology and subsequently the Best Track Paper Award in project management at the IEOM conference in South Africa in 2018. He has won many grants in his areas of study.
He successfully led a team to establish the ATU’s Sustainable Energy Service Centre with a grant by MIDA under the auspices of the Energy Commission.
The Centre is currently running and offering Energy Audit and Energy Performance Certification courses; He has also won twice the Ghana Skill Development Fund grant, thrice the Carnegie African Diasporan Fellowship Programmes to mention but a few.
Prof Acakpovi has a vast international exposure through his attendances of multiple conferences in countries including Germany, France, USA, China, Russia and Egypt.
Prof Acakpovi is a Christian and happily married with five children. He is a God-fearing person and an aspiring Evangelist
By Michael D. Abayateye
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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.
This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.
The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.
“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”
Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.
The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.
According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.
He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”
“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.
The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”
A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.
Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.
Story By : Vivian Arthur
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
