A dean of the UPSA Law School, Prof. Ernest Kofi Abotsi
Prof. Ernest Kofi Abotsi, a dean of the UPSA Law School and an associate professor of comparative constitutional law and international law, has emphasized the critical role of technical education in navigating the future, urging students to embrace entrepreneurial aspirations.
Delivering a speech at the chancellor’s public lecture and history book launch as part of the 70th-anniversary celebration of the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Prof. Abotsi, a distinguished legal scholar and academic, reflected on the university’s journey, acknowledging KsTU’s transformation into a respected institution charting a course for technical education. He contrasted the past, where technical education was often undervalued, with the present reality, where it stands as a leader, inventing solutions and driving progress.
“The world is led not by universities that propound theories, but the world is led by universities that continue to invent,” he stated.
Looking ahead, Prof. Abotsi highlighted the importance of history as a “crystal ball” to inform future decisions. He urged KTU to learn from its past, building upon its successes while avoiding past mistakes. He stated how law isn’t the answer to the future but technology is.
Highlighting the transformative power of technology, Prof. Abotsi emphasized the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) to various professions, including law. He used the humorous example of robots potentially replacing lawyers in courtrooms to illustrate the urgent need to adapt to a technologically driven world. “It is technologists who will navigate the uncertain future”.
Prof. Abotsi lauded KsTU as being on the side of the future, while the legal profession, like many others, “belong to the past.” He emphasized that the historical book commemorating KsTU’s 70th anniversary serves as a tool for self-reflection, allowing the university to recognize its strengths and address its flaws to better navigate the future.
The event, held on the KsTU campus, also featured Dr. Daniel McCauley-McDon, as the key speaker of the program. Setting the stage for Dr. McCauley’s address, Prof. Abotsi compared himself to John the Baptist, heralding the arrival of a significant figure. He then introduced Dr. McCauley, saying, “The sermon, Dr. Daniel McCauley-McDon is here to connect.”
Meanwhile, catch up on the story of this 81-year-old man who shared a wall with Kwame Nkrumah and got to pluck mangoes from his backyard, below: