Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong is now the Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA).
He was sworn in at a ceremony on the university’s Madina campus today for a five-year tenure.
Dr. Sarpong who is a Chartered Accountant by profession is the second Chancellor of UPSA after the tenure of Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, known in private life as Dr. Kingsley A. Fletcher, the Suapolor of SE (Shai) Kingdom.
With this, Dr. Sarpong becomes the non-residential ceremonial head of the University, who will preside over important ceremonies and leverage his network and influence to steer UPSA towards its strategic goals.
His appointment follows the unanimous recommendation and approval by a Search Committee, the Executive Committee, and the Academic Board of the University.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia administered the Oaths of Office and Secrecy during the Swearing-in and Investiture of the new Chancellor.
The ceremony was attended by members of the governing board, management, staff, and students of the University, as well as some traditional rulers, family members, and loved ones.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Sarpong who is also a former Executive Executive of the Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club pledged to work collaboratively with the Academic Board of the University to establish a Chancellor’s Endowment Fund for research.
The new Chancellor told the gathering that he intended to raise Ghc20million for the Endowment Fund for the University to have a stable ìncome for research purposes.
He thanked the Governing Board, Management, staff, and the student of the University for the honour bestowed on him and promised to work tirelessly towards its development.
Vice President Bawumia commended the new Chancellor for distinguishing himself as a public servant and believed that he would leverage his wide network and influence to steer the University to a new level.
Dr. Bawumia also commended the Board and Management of UPSA for prudently using its internally-generated funds to construct a 1,600 hostel facility to accommodate students.
He entreated all universities in the country to equip themselves and expand their infrastructural base to absorb a large number of senior high school (SHS) graduates benefitting from the Free SHS Policy.
The Vice President also urged the universities to embrace technology to provide quality teaching and learning, noting that the world is transforming, therefore it is imperative to adapt to the changes in the global ecosystem.
“For you to remain relevant in the global ecosystem, universities in Ghana should be dynamic, innovative, and flexible and provide a contextual module of education to solve societal problems,” Dr. Bawumia added.
He noted that the Free SHS policy introduced by the government had increased secondary school enrolment from 881,000 students in 2016 to 1.2 million over the last five years.
He gave the assurance that the Free SHS policy would remain a core policy of the government to improve access to secondary education for all Ghanaian children of school-going age.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent