Kumasi, Ghana | 27 July 2026
A delegation from the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) conducted a successful benchmarking visit to the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, to learn from the University’s best practices in research grant management and institutional research support.
The visit forms part of SUZA’s ongoing efforts to establish a Grant Management Office (GMO) under the Building Stronger Universities Phase IV (BSU IV) project. The initiative aims to strengthen research governance, improve grant acquisition, and enhance project management across the University.
The SUZA delegation included the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic, Research and Consultancy, the Director of Graduate Studies, Research and Consultancy, the Head of the Department of Research, and the leaders of BSU IV Work Packages I, II, III, and IV. Work Package IV is responsible for supporting institutional capacity strengthening in research and grant management.
The delegation was warmly received by the Director of the Office of Grants and Research, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, together with members of the OGR team. The discussions focused on KNUST’s grant management framework, research administration systems, funding strategies, proposal development, project implementation, compliance, and post-award support.
The benchmarking exercise provided SUZA with valuable insights and practical experiences that will inform the development of an efficient and sustainable Grant Management Office. It also reinforced the importance of institutional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and regional partnerships in advancing research excellence and increasing access to competitive research funding.
The visit marks another significant milestone in SUZA’s commitment to strengthening its research ecosystem and building institutional capacity to support high-quality research, innovation, and international collaboration through the BSU IV Project.