Prof. Joshua Alabi being inducted into the office of the Vice Chancellor.
The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) formerly the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) has appointed Professor Joshua Alabi, an economist and international marketing professional, as the vice-chancellor of the university.
Prof. Alabi, until his new appointment, was the rector of the IPS before being converted into a university—the UPSA.
The reconstitution of the institute followed a presidential charter which made the institute a fully-fledged university capable of awarding its own certificates.
It was formerly affiliated to the University of Ghana, Legon.
Chairman of the governing council of the university, Justice Nii Aryeetey, speaking at the colourful ceremony to officially introduce Prof. Alabi to the university, referred to the induction of Prof. Joshua Alabi as historic.
Aryeetey said the choice of Prof Alabi by the council followed his dedicated and selfless service to the institute through its stages of an institution to becoming a fully-fledged university.
He said, “Prof. Alabi served the institute for 25 years, including three years as dean of Management Faculty, four years as the pro-rector and four years as rector.”
Minister of Education Lee Ocran praised Prof Alabi’s efforts in helping to make the transition of the institute into a university possible.
He said without the hard work of the institute and Prof. Alabi’s persistence to push the university forward, “they wouldn’t be where they are today.”
Ocran said, “It was hard to convince main stakeholders to transform the institute to a university but with both the help from the government and Alabi’s will to change the former institute, they made it possible.”
Prof. Joshua Alabi, in his acceptance remarks, expressed his appreciation to the university council for the confidence placed in him to be the vice chancellor.
“Today, with great pride and humility, I accept the mantle of leadership of University of Professional Studies as the first vice chancellor,” he said.
The new vice chancellor assured the university population to work with the administration to justify the change and position the university as a university of excellence when it comes to its core mandate.
He said he would work to enhance key features as diversity, technology and innovation to differentiate UPSA from other universities and lead the direction that university education is going around the globe.
“For us scholarship means the pursuit of knowledge and professionalism means the application of knowledge for development in an ethical way,” he said.
Prof. Alabi’s educational ambition started from the St. Johns Preparatory Primary School in Achimota from 1964 to 1971 after which he proceeded to Tamale Secondary School from 1971 to 1976.
Prof. Alabi attended IPS from 1976 to 1980, where he attained part three of the Society of Company and Commercial Accountant (SCCA, UK) professional programme.
He received his MSc Degree in Industrial Economics in 1986 from Moscow, Russia and MSc Degree in International Marketing in 1991 from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Scotland.
He is currently a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG).
By Daniel Dicke & Jamila Akweley Okertchiri