Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse has been sworn-in as the first Female Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon.
Mrs Chinery-Hesse succeeds Mr. Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General, whose term of office ended on 31st July, 2018.
At the Investiture and swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who administered the Oath of Office and of Secrecy, congratulated Mrs Chinery-Hesse on her new position.
President Akufo-Addo said, all her wealth of experience as Chief Director at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, Member of the Governing Council of the University and an Advisor to former President John Agyekum Kufuor, among others, put her in good stead for the position.
“It is my expectation and hope that Legon will continue to produce graduates, who are moulded to take on the opportunities and possibilities for higher achievement, through innovation and creativity, in today’s science and technology-led, knowledge-driven global economy, and who will, thereby, help generate prosperity for the mass of our people in our time,” the President said.
President Akufo-Addo said as the first female Chancellor of a Ghanaian University, Mrs. Chinery-Hesse blazed a trail for other women to follow and, importantly, and to ensure that the University felt the added benefit of that special quality that women brought to leadership.
He reminded the new Chancellor of the immediate challenges of the dramatic increase in the population of students in tertiary institutions, as a result of the Free Senior High School Policy, which would confront the University of Ghana and other Universities in 2 years.
“I urge you, Madam Chancellor and all heads of our tertiary institutions to begin making adequate preparations towards this and future years. We cannot be caught off guard and, as the saying goes, “the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”.
President Akufo-Addo said the Free Senior High School policy would be a permanent feature of Ghana’s educational architecture and assured the country’s universities of Government’s steadfast commitment and continued support.
The President shared with the youth, especially those on campus, one of his fundamental beliefs, “we have it in us to be the best generation, the generation that fulfils the dreams of the great patriots who brought our nation independence, the generation whose work will give full meaning to the words of our country’s motto, Freedom and Justice, the generation that will build a new Ghanaian civilisation the equal of any on the face of the planet. Let us be up and doing. Greatness beckons.”
On her part, Mrs Chinery-Hesse commended her predecessor, Mr Annan, for opening the doors of the University to critical funding sources.
This, she said, had been important in the increasing recognition gained by the University’s research centres, particularly in the area of agriculture and the improved access to international digital knowledge database and funding of Postgraduate scholarships.
She dedicated her appointment to the high office as Chancellor of the University, to Ghanaian Womanhood.
The new University Chancellor commended President Akufo-Addo for introducing relevant educational policy reforms towards the proper linkage between curricula of the Universities and the world of work.
She pledged to bring her rich experience and network to the development of the University and the Country at large.
Source: ISD (Rex Mainoo Yeboah)