Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu was on Monday sworn-in for a four-year tenure as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Ghana (UG).
Taking over from Prof Ernest Aryeetey, Prof Owusu thus becomes 12th Executive Head of the University and the ninth Ghanaian to occupy the position.
The swearing-in was done on behalf of the UG Chancellor Mr Kofi Annan, by Prof Justice Samuel K. Date-Bah, UG Council Chairman.
Prof Owusu, who is a professor of entomology, was born at Tarkwa, Western Region, to Ebenezer Owusu Okyere, who hails from Mpraeso-Kwahu, Eastern Region and Florence Ekua Soma Intsiful (deceased), who hailed from Elmina, Central Region.
He started his basic school education at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana Primary School, Akim Tafo, Eastern Region, from where he proceeded to St Peter’s Secondary School, Nkwatia Kwahu for his Ordinary Level School Certificate.
He later did his Advance Level at the Ghana Secondary Technical, Takoradi.
Prof Owusu holds a PhD in Entomology and a Master of Science in Agricultural Chemistry, from Kochi University, Japan.He also has an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA Project Management option) and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, from UG.
Prof Owusu has worked extensively on millet, vegetable, and urban insect pests, especially in areas of insecticide resistance and use of indigenous plant materials for management of major insect pests.
Prof Owusu is the immediate past Provost of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, having previously served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science and Dean/Acting Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, UG.He is married and blessed with three children.
In his inaugural address, Prof Owusu outlined his vision; which include positioning the UG as a world class institution“Go To University”.
“The UG is recognized and respected nationally and internationally as a leading institution of higher learning. We would consolidate and build on the progress and achievements so far,” he stated.
“Our strategies will be anchored in our collective determination to re-position the UG as a world class research and training institution. We want Legon to become a ‘Go To University’ in Africa,” he said.
The VC said in order to make the University relevant to development needs; they would engage relevant actors in private and public sectors to identify key areas of focus and emphasis to guide the alignment of their research and training programmes.
“For the UG to remain competitive globally, we need to ensure we do not slip in global and Africa-wide rankings. Indeed, we will work hard to improve upon them,” he said.
He said they would prioritise their research and teaching and align budgets to support effective implementation of priority actions that would enhance the University’s ranking.
“Discipline, integrity, transparency and accountability as well as leadership by examples at all levels within the UG community will be important cornerstones of my tenure as VC,” Prof Owusu said.
“I would like to leave in our collective conscience the fact that, as a university and under my leadership, we are going to be guided by two important values, the two Rs that is respect and my coined word, “RINER” – Relevance, Innovation, Excellence and Resource mobilisation” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the UG Council for the confidence reposed in him and his capacity to lead the University to greater heights over the next four years.
He announced the “VC’s Green Project”; explaining that given the devastating reality of climate change, the UG must lead in climate adaptation and migration by building low-carbon and climate-sensitive infrastructure on its campuses.
He said the “VC’s Green Project” seeks to increase the greening of the campus through the planting of grasses and trees, as well as implementing environmental sensitization such as cleanliness and good waste disposal practices led by students and their leaders.
Prof Aryeetey in his handover note, cautioned the new VC that, good and bad times would come, however, the bad times would outnumber the good times and therefore, he must prepare himself to meet the challenges.
He hailed late President John Evans Attah Mills for providing the UG with the largest teaching hospital in West Africa.
Prof Justice Date-Bah urged all and sundry to rally behind the new VC to achieve the
goals of the University.
