KEEP Scholar Impact: From KEEP Scholar to KNUST Lecturer

Dr. Perseverance Dzikunu’s journey through the halls of KNUST has come full circle. Having entered as a student, excelled as a KEEP scholar through both his MPhil and PhD in Materials Engineering, and graduating in 2025, he has now returned to those same halls as an educator. Dr. Dzikunu’s appointment as a Part-Time Lecturer in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering stands as a powerful testament to the KEEP program’s success in cultivating academic leaders who reinvest their expertise into the institution that shaped them.

Dr Dzikunu’s introduction to KEEP came through KNUST's academic ecosystem. While serving as a Teaching Assistant in 2019, he learned of the scholarship through university announcements and faculty mentorship. “It was presented as a competitive program designed to support high-potential postgraduate researchers in the College of Engineering,” he recalls. This opportunity marked the start of a profound academic and professional transformation.

When reflecting on the most valuable aspect of being a KEEP scholar, Dr Dzikunu highlights the program’s comprehensive, continuous support system. “KEEP provided stipends, accommodation support, and dedicated research funding throughout both my MPhil and PhD,” he explains. “This allowed me to focus fully on my research on valorising waste for electrochemical energy storage without financial distraction.”

The support extended far beyond funding. “The program integrated mentorship, professional workshops, industrial internships, access to advanced laboratories, and international exposure. This holistic approach directly translated into strong research output, technical competence, and measurable professional growth.”

Dr. Dzikunu’s career trajectory demonstrates a seamless transition from that of a funded scholar to a faculty member, a key outcome of the KEEP model. Immediately after his PhD, he undertook a Postdoctoral Researcher role at KNUST’s DIPPERLAB. He now serves as a Part-Time Lecturer in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, where he guides undergraduate and postgraduate students.

His work remains at the cutting edge of applied research, focusing on the development of electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring and advancing energy storage materials. “My career path reflects a steady transition from funded postgraduate training to independent research and academic leadership,” he notes, underscoring how KEEP prepares scholars not just to graduate, but to lead and teach.

“In the long term, I aim to contribute to sustainable materials engineering solutions in Africa, particularly in energy storage, water treatment, and waste-to-resource technologies,” he states. His research directly addresses critical continental challenges in sustainability and industrial development.

Equally important is his commitment to mentorship. “I seek to train and mentor young engineers and researchers, helping to strengthen local research capacity.

Dr. Perseverance Dzikunu’s story is a powerful testament to the multiplier effect of long-term, holistic scholarship support. KEEP did not merely fund a degree; it invested in a researcher, an educator, and a leader who is now paving the way for others. His journey, from a TA to a PhD graduate to a faculty member, illustrates how strategic educational investment can catalyse a cycle of knowledge creation, application, and transmission, firmly anchoring Africa’s engineering future in its own institutions and talents.