UCC gets new Vice-Chancellor

Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupole, the former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), was on Monday, inducted into office as the ninth Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University.

Prof Kuupole, 56, whose tenure will span four-years, took over from his predecessor, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang the first female VC the country has ever produced, as she proceeded on retirement on Sunday, September 30.

Also inducted into office was a new Registrar, Mr John Kofi Nyan, 53-year-old university administrator who succeeded Dr Kofi Ohene, who is also on retirement.

Dr Sam Jonah, Chancellor of UCC, inducted them into office and tasked the VC to take a holistic view of the contents of some of the programmes of the University to put premium on skill development and training to facilitate the absorption of graduates into the competitive job market.

“The time has come when higher education should be tailored towards churning out products that are technologically driven with knowledge and skills that could withstand the exigencies of the time and also fit into the competitive market”, Dr Jonah said.

He reminded the two that they have been inducted into office at a time that there was an on-going debate on whether the beneficiary of tertiary education should bear the full cost and that until a consensus was reached, UCC should continue to seek the much needed resources to help improve the quality of academic work and infrastructure.

Dr Jonah said he had confidence in both the new VC and the Registrar in view of their vast wealth of experience as well as knowledge spanning many years.

On the out-going VC, the Chancellor described her as an “icon” and paid glowing tribute to her for her “sterling leadership skills and the numerous achievements she chalked for the university” adding that her name will continue to echo throughout the country and beyond.

The Chancellor praised the University Council for its bold decision of choosing her for that high office saying that appointment four years ago, will forever blaze the trail for women empowerment at the highest level of academia.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang wished the newly inducted officers success and added that the University was in full flight and will continue to attain greater heights because both Prof Kuupole and Mr Nyan were capable of rising to the occasion.

Prof Kuupole outlined his vision for the University notable among them were the upgrading of the Centre for Continuing Education into a College status, the evolving of measures to increase the intake of science students, the expansion of the study of ICT and the promotion of multi-disciplinary approach to research.

He appealed for the support of the university community to aid its vision of maintaining its accolade as the University of choice to be achieved.

Professor Kuupole, who speaks and writes fluent Dagara, English and French, is from an Agrarian Community of Nandom-Kogle in the Upper West Region of Ghana where he started his primary middle school education from 1962 to 71.

He proceeded to Nandom Secondary School and later to the UCC to pursue higher education and had his M’Phil in French in France among numerous other courses both home and abroad and serves several boards with uncountable publications and research works to his credit.

He is married to Dr (Mrs) Alfredina Kuupole, with four children.

The Mr Nyan, the Registrar,12th Registrar, is from Amisano near Elmina. He had his basic education at the Amisano Catholic Primary and Middle School and continued at the Takoradi Polytechnic and joined the UCC.

He was later sponsored by the Univesity to pursue the Barchelor of Arts Degree programme in Secretariatship in addition to Diploma of Education. He holds a Master’s Degree programme in Public Administration and had risen through the ranks to the high office of Registrar.

He is married to Mrs Evelyn Nyan with eight children.