TRECK, KNUST visited CERViDA, University of Lome

A team from TRECK-KNUST led by the Director of the Centre, Rev. Prof. Charles Annum Adams visited the Regional Center of Excellence on Sustainable Cities in Africa (CERVIDA-DOUNEDON), University of Lome, Togo. The team comprised the Centre Director, two administrative staff, three fellows and five students (MSc and PhD). The purpose of the trip was to have an engagement with CERViDA-DOUNEDON, also a member of the Transport Logistics and Sustainable Cities Network. The team used this visit as an avenue to explore areas of joint research and academic collaborations as well as to share and learn the successes and challenges both centres were facing. The TRECK team was welcomed by Prof Aholu Coffi on behalf of the President of the University of Lome.

In their interactive sessions, both Centres acknowledged the similarities in their operational challenges and areas of interest and priorities. They therefore called for more collaborations in areas such as symposiums, webinars, conferences, student exchange programs and proposal development. Both Centres agreed to hold a meeting which will include the African Center of Excellence In Logistics and Transport (CEALT), University of Djibouti, Djibouti under the network for a deeper collaborative networking. The Director of CERVIDA, Prof Coffi in expressing his appreciation to the team from Ghana, spoke of prospective internship placement between both Centres and corresponding cross-language development programs for the two Centres.

As part of the team’s visit, they met with the Authorities of the Ministry of Transportation of Togo to seek their support for the Network. The Minister was represented by the Secretary-General, Dr. Michel K. Tindano. The Ministry promised its support to the Network and called on global and African researchers to redirect their energies to developing the transport sector, especially the informal and unregulated transport sector by supporting and developing pragmatic solutions to tackle the numerous challenges faced by the sector.