The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has conferred an honorary doctorate degree (Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa) on Mr Kwabena Amponsah, owner of Adwinsa Publications.
Mr Amponsah, 80-year-old educationist, was honoured for his major contributions in promoting and improving quality education, through teaching and publication of educational materials.
He was among the six individuals who were granted honorary degrees by the university at its 59th congregation held in Kumasi.
Mr Amponsah has taught in all levels of education in the country.
Some of the schools taught included Labawaleshie Middle School, Tetentaa Middle School, Adisadel College, Oda Senior High School (SHS), Tweneboa Kodua (SHS), and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) among others.
He established his publication firm in 1977 and resigned from teaching in 1978 to focus and manage his business and support the deprived in education and health care in the community.
During his career as a publisher, Mr Amponsah, published numerous educational books covering about 16 subjects for the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the Ministry of Education, for the Basic and Secondary levels of education.
English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Religious and Moral Education, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Education, Creative Arts, and Textiles, were among some of the books he published for the GES.
Additionally, he authored three books, ‘Topics on West African Traditional Region’, Volumes One and Two, meant for Advanced Level Religious Studies and General Paper, ‘Studies in St Luke, Matthew, Mark and Acts of the Apostles for ‘O’ Level students,’ and non-formal literary books in 15 languages.
Furthermore, he established the Adwinsa Prayer and Retreat Centre, a Presbyterian Church of Ghana Preaching Point at Adwinsa Village and the North Legon Education Complex with his wife.
Since 1984, the father of six children, had been training students of the industry at the KNUST.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, after the ceremony, Mr Amponsah, a native of Nsoatre in the Sunyani West District of the Bono Region, expressed his sincere gratitude to the management, the Chancellor, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the University Council for the recognition.
According to him, he was not aware that his contributions to improving Ghana’s educational system were being taken notice of as he did that wholeheartedly without expecting any form of recognition.
“I never knew that someone elsewhere was taking notice of my hard work in the educational system.
I am honoured and grateful for the honorary degree bestowed to me,” said Mr Amponsah.
He indicated that he was not a product of the KNUST as he was a product of the University of Ghana and UCC.
Mr Amponsah advised teachers and others to be hardworking, honest and kind to everyone as those were the qualities that kept him going.
Currently, he said his third-born, Mr Kwaku Oppong Amponsah was overseeing the management of his firm since he retired in 2018.
