Retaining the title of Professor in Ghana.

I feel compelled to contribute to this argument/discussion which has needlessly become protracted & lingered for far too long.

In the United States and some other countries, the term “professor” is used quite broadly. It often refers to any university teacher, regardless of their academic rank. This means that someone who has completed a terminal degree (e.g., PhD, MD, or similar) and is employed as a lecturer or faculty member in a university can be addressed as “Professor.” The title is more a designation of position than of academic rank.

In Ghana, however, the system is very different. Here, “Professor” is not a generic title for anyone teaching at the university. Rather, it is an academic rank, much like ranks in the military (e.g., Lieutenant, Major, Colonel). To become a Professor in Ghana, one must rise through the academic ladder, usually from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and then Professor (sometimes referred to as “full Professor”). This progression is based on rigorous criteria, including:

-Research output and quality publications.

-Successful supervision of postgraduate students.

-Securing and managing research grants.

-Effective teaching and mentorship.

-Extension services and contributions to society.

-Duration of service in academia.

When a Ghanaian academic applies for promotion to Associate Professor or Professor, the application undergoes thorough internal review and, if successful, is sent to multiple external assessors of equal or higher rank for independent evaluation. Promotion to these ranks is therefore a mark of distinguished academic achievement, not merely a teaching appointment.

Consequently, a surgeon who taught in a U.S. medical school and was addressed as Professor there would not automatically be recognized as a Professor in Ghana. Unless the individual has gone through the rigorous academic promotion system and attained the rank of Professor, they cannot legitimately use the title here.

On the other hand, if one has attained the rank of Associate Professor or Professor through a university promotion system anywhere in the world, that rank is recognized in Ghana, and the individual retains the title Professor.

The issue under discussion, therefore, is not complicated. It is mainly a matter of clarifying the difference between systems. In Ghana, the title Professor is a rank, not a generic designation for all university teachers. This is the explanation the Commission should have provided clearly, and it would have settled the matter without the current confusion. And the minister could also have answered clearly. The posturing was a bit problematic.

By Professor Michael O. Adu

Department of Crop Science

School of Agriculture

College of Agriculture & Natural Sciences

University of Cape Coast