Prof. Eric Appau Asante, Director of E-Learning at the 糖心Vlog and Technology (KNUST), has called on academics and practitioners to embrace open access publishing as a matter of justice, survival, and transformation for Africa鈥檚 future.
Addressing the inauguration of the Akenten Appiah Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) Journals, Prof. Asante urged universities to move away from hoarding knowledge and instead make it accessible to the society.
鈥淜nowledge locked behind paywalls is like a well of water surrounded by the thirsty,鈥 he said.
He emphasized that open access is not only a publishing model but 鈥渁 justice model鈥 that ensures 鈥渢he artisan in Suame, the farmer in Tamale, and the seamstress in Kumasi鈥 can benefit from the same insights as scholars in Oxford or Paris.
Prof. Asante again lamented Africa鈥檚 persistent 鈥渒nowledge drain,鈥 noting that artisans, teachers, and innovators often die with undocumented wisdom.
鈥淚f Africa does not write, Africa will be written about. If Ghana does not publish, others will define us,鈥 he declared, drawing applause. He highlighted the crucial role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and entrepreneurship in Africa鈥檚 development.
According to him, skills without research guidance risk irrelevance, while entrepreneurship without knowledge struggles to scale.
Open access journals, he explained, will help connect practical skills to innovation and ensure relevance for industries and communities.
Drawing from KNUST鈥檚 experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Asante recounted how digitized and accessible knowledge enabled teaching and learning to continue.
鈥淭hese journals will do for research what e-learning has done for teaching, break walls, open doors, and democratize opportunity,鈥 he stated.
He also encouraged faculty to publish both their achievements and their failures.
"Failure documented is not failure, it is a guide for others,鈥 he stressed. Prof. Asante concluded with a call to see every article as a seed with far-reaching impact. 鈥淭he best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is now. Today, AAMUSTED is planting not just one tree, but a forest of knowledge and generations yet unborn will harvest from it,鈥 he said.
The ceremony culminated in the official inauguration of two journals: the Journal of Technical Education and Applied Sciences (JTEAS) and the Journal of Applied Social Sciences and Entrepreneurial Education (JASSEE), which are expected to serve as open platforms for advancing scholarship in TVET and entrepreneurial education in Ghana and beyond.
