Professor Abungu criticised the false impression that separates the two fields, arguing that their seamless collaboration was not a luxury but a necessity for building and sustaining advanced societies.
He said this at the 3rd School of Arts Biennal International Conference organised by the University of Ghana School of Arts.

The international conference scheduled from August 5-7 drew experts from Ghana and other countries to deliberate on Arts and STEM education.

The three-day conference was on theme,” SteAming STEM Education with Arts for Sustainable Development” underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex global challenges, from sustainable development to social equity.

He used his personal journey as a young archaeology student at the University of Nairobi in Kenya to illustrate his point.
He explained how his early curiosity in archeology evolved into an interdisciplinary pursuit, requiring him to engage with chemistry, physics, geology, mathematics and biology to fully understand his field.

This experience, he said, taught him that innovation and progress were born of collaboration between diverse perspectives not from competition.
He also asserted that humanities provided the essential framework for values, ethics and governance that gave technological progress its purpose and meaning.

Professor Joseph Awetori Yaro, Provost, College of Humanites, UG, said employers increasingly valued humanities graduates for their critical thinking and adaptability, challenging the notion that technical skills alone ensured success.

Prof. Yaro acknowledged the global decline in humanities funding but stressed Africa’s unique opportunity to preserve its cultural and intellectual heritage.
He called for creative solutions to sustain humanities education amid financial constraints.