Shaping the world through language and communication: The Journey of the Department of Language and Communication Sciences
By Rose Adjei Asamoah
In the bosom of the globally recognized science and technology institution, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), lies a quiet but powerful department, breaking all barriers to bridge international gaps: The Department of Language and Communication
Sciences.
For a university renowned for its emphasis on science and technology, the role of the humanities is always questioned as a deviation from the norm.
“Our answer is simple yet profound: at the core of every action that contributes to human flourishing lies a seamless fusion of language, communication and thought. Every physical structure we see around us begins as an idea, refined through language, translated into scripts, and carried out through implementation,” the Head of Department, Dr. Stella Afi Makafui Yagblemenawo explains.
She adds that the Department firmly believes that every building, innovation, and system that defines modern life starts not as a physical structure, but as an idea carefully formed through language, refined into expression, and preserved through writing.
“What we often celebrate as physical infrastructure is, in truth, the visible outcome of deep conceptual and linguistic processes. Language is not just a tool; it is the very foundation upon which reality is constructed,” she states.
According to her, at the Department, the programs run are not just seen as academic disciplines, but rather they “they are the living embodiment of philosophy, an intellectual engine that steers the driving force of human progress, the heartbeat and challenging factor of human limitations of life.
“Philosophy, understood as the co-constitution of language and communication, becomes the valve through which the world is imagined, negotiated, and constructed to promote social and ecological harmony,” she explains.
She states that the department is dedicated to expanding the frontiers of research and practice in language and communication, the anvil upon which the fortress of life is forged, adding that “no matter the discipline of study, be it French, Akan, Linguistics, Media and Communication Studies, or other languages such as Chinese or Spanish, the mission is clear: to nurture critical thinking, cultivate effective and affective communication, and encourage engagement. They are equipped not only with knowledge but with the skills of tact, wisdom, and dialogue, all, tools essential for leadership and transformation”.
The Department thrives through four vibrant academic units: Akan and Culture, French and Francophone Studies, Linguistics and Media and Communication Studies. These units offer a wide spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate programs, as well as language proficiency and other related professional short courses tailored to meet the demands of our globalized society. The introduction of French for Professions in the Institute of Distant Learning, extends practical language training beyond traditional classrooms, making it accessible to a broader community of learners.
“Choosing the Department of Language and Communication Sciences is not stepping away from development and innovation; it is a stepping stone into its intellectual and communication’s very core. It is here that ideas are born, refined into texts, and transformed into the realities that shape our world,” Dr. Yagblemenawo affirms.