The international photonics training school, “NYANSAPƆ”, aimed at providing world-class hands-on optics training to students in Ghana and the wider African region, has been officially inaugurated at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).A six-day Photonics and Optics initiative, with a focus on health and safety, has convened 38 emerging scientists from six African countries and leading photonics researchers from Africa, Europe and North America.Running from September 21 to 26, the programme moves beyond the conventional conference format, immersing students in working laboratories for hands-on practical training.In a move to strengthen Ghana’s capacity in light-based science, the event also marked the commissioning of the Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory (GPOL).Hosted at the KNUST Department of Physics, the state-of-the-art GPOL is a teaching, research and outreach laboratory dedicated to advancing research, training and outreach in optics and photonics in Ghana and across West Africa, spanning fundamental optics and instrumentation science to applications in health, agriculture, industry and the environment.The photonics laboratory project is the work of KNUST researchers led by Dr Akyana Britwum, as the principal investigator and scientific lead, and Dr Michael Kweku Edem Donkor, Technical Lead and Co-Principal Investigator, with the support from SPIE.Speaking at the launch, Principal Investigator and Scientific Lead Dr Akyana Britwum described the initiative as a pivotal step in transitioning Ghana from a consumer of foreign technologies to a producer of homegrown scientific solutions.He explained that photonics and optics, which is the science and technology of light, underpin modern innovation, yet Ghana has remained largely an end-user.“Photonics is the science and engineering of light. What we try to do is to generate light, to control light, manipulate light and understand its interactions with matter, and this has applications across all our modern technologies,” he explained.According to him, Ghanaians should be empowered to pursue locally relevant science using the most advanced tools available, a vision that informed the establishment of the laboratory and the one-week training school.“Ghanaians should be able to do the science that matters to us with the most advanced tools that are available. That is why we set up the lab, and as part of the lab, we are running a one-week school that we are calling the Photonics School on Health and Safety, because one of the key areas for modern health and safety technologies is photonics.“From your LEDs when we are generating light, to your lasers that you can use for surgeries, your lasers are used for telecommunication, lasers are used for computing these days as well. All these technologies are usually developed outside the country and brought here for us to use, and so we usually end up as end users. What we are trying to do is to change the conversation,” he added.He expressed concern that photonics is not introduced early in Ghana’s educational curriculum.“Our students usually hear about photonics when they are in the university, not even in their high school syllabus,” he said.He disclosed that GPOL, which he co-founded in 2024 with his co-Principal Investigator, Dr Michael, has since rolled out more than 30 outreach programmes across the country, engaging over 6,000 students.The initiative, he said, is part of a deliberate effort to demystify photonics and optics and to inspire interest in light-based sciences among young learners.He stressed the need for Ghana to invest deliberately in research that addresses local challenges and drives homegrown solutions.“What we are saying is that as Ghanaians, we need to own some of this research. Research is expensive and takes time, but if we don’t invest in it, we will end up as end users using technologies that have not been made with you in mind and with your problems in mind. Those things can only come from us when we do the science that matters to us.”The 2025 President of SPIE, Dr. Peter de Groot, also underscored the importance of optics and photonics to Ghana’s national development strategy, describing the establishment of the Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory (GPOL) as a critical opportunity for students and researchers to pursue world-class science locally.Dr. de Groot, who is also Scientist Emeritus at Zygo Corporation and the Chair of the GPOL Advisory Board, said the impact of light-based sciences cuts across key sectors of the economy.“You see optics and photonics in healthcare, in infrastructure, telecommunications, in mining and agriculture. These are all very important as part of the national strategy for economic development in Ghana,” he said.He noted that beyond advancing research in photonics, the laboratory offers students a strong practical foundation in mathematics and science that can be applied across diverse fields.“For students, it is also an opportunity to study mathematics and science in a practical context, so that they can go on to do any one of a variety of things, not necessarily optics and photonics. It is an excellent foundation in science,” he stated.Dr de Groot stated that the laboratory will help reverse the trend of Ghanaian students having to travel abroad to access quality research facilities.“That is how I see the benefit of the laboratory. It allows young people in particular to do research and to learn here in Ghana. They can supplement that with overseas travel to visit other laboratories, but it does not become a prerequisite for learning to have to leave the country,” he emphasised.He expressed optimism that GPOL will not only drive high-quality research but also position Ghana as a regional hub for photonics training.“We are hoping that with the laboratory, we will not only be able to do very high-quality research, but will also provide the opportunity for students to study here and regionally. In fact, many people will come to Ghana from neighbouring countries to take part,” he added.In his remarks, the Technical Lead and Co-Principal Investigator, Dr Michael Kweku Edem Donkor, outlined the core mandate of the laboratory, which includes the development of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in optics and photonics, as well as cutting-edge research in low-cost instrumentation, materials characterization through microscopy and spectroscopy, and medical optics/biophotonics.He expressed optimism about the transformative potential of the initiative for Ghana’s scientific landscape.“We see a lot of optimism because it’s creating an avenue for training. This will help to raise the human capital needed to drive the photonics industry,” Dr Donkor said.He added that GPOL will also focus on forging strong national and international partnerships to foster innovation and scientific exchange, while deepening public understanding of photonics through sustained communityoutreach programmes.The Bonwirehene, Nana Bobie Ansah II, graced the occasion to unveil the GPOL Kente, a symbolic fabric designed to reflect the convergence of science and Ghanaian heritage.He called for stronger collaboration between researchers in photonics and optics and local Kente weavers, noting that such partnerships could drive innovation in textile design and preserve cultural identity through science.The NYANSAPƆ Photonics School and the launch of GPOL is founded by SPIE, with additional support from Optica, Menlo Systems and Thorlabs, and from the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) through KNUST’s partnership with the Pan-African Initiative for Research (PAIR) at the University of Waterloo, and in partnership with ICFO.