Rand Refinery, a South African gold refinery and smelting company, has donated semi-fabricated silver items to the Metal Product Design Section of Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The items valued 9,500 US Dollars, were made up of a silver plate, coiled wire and tube silver grain.
Mr. Chris Horsley, Head of Sourcing, Vault and Logistics of the Company, presenting the items, said the University was selected for support because of the recommendation made by the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
He said there was the need to assist the Department to become a centre of excellence in teaching, research, skills and knowledge dissemination in precious metal jewellery design, production and marketing, in the West Africa Sub-region.
Mr Horsley said the Company was determined to contribute to strengthening the co-operation between Ghana and South Africa in the area of higher education by offering practical support to students pursuing degree courses in silver-smith and jewellery at the University.
Professor Daniel Buor, Provost of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, thanked the Company for the gesture.
He said the items would aid the training of not only students in the metal design section, but craftsmen and artisans, whose capacity in metal fabrication and design, the Department has planned to build.
Prof. Obuor said the donation was a first step of collaboration between the University and the Company for their mutual benefit.