Former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CalBank, Mr Frank B. Adu Jnr, has been invested as the first Chancellor of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB), with a pledge to help transform the institution into a digitally driven, industry-connected and financially sustainable university.
At his investiture ceremony in Accra today September 18, 2026, Mr Adu Jnr outlined a five-point vision for the university, comprising digital transformation, industry-embedded education, ethical leadership and communication, a vibrant global alumni network and financial sustainability.
He said the vision was aimed at positioning AUCB to produce graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and practical experience required to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s development and compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
The ceremony marked a significant milestone in the development of the institution following the granting of a presidential charter to AUCB in December 2024, which gave it autonomy to operate as a fully-fledged university.
Call to service
Representing the Minister of Education, , the Director of Tertiary Education Division, Dr Emmanuel Newman, said the investiture of Mr Adu Jnr was not merely the conferment of an honorary title but a call to service, leadership and stewardship.
He said a Chancellor was expected to serve as a source of wisdom and counsel to the university, a bridge between the institution and wider society, and an ambassador of its values and aspirations.
He congratulated Mr Adu Jnr on his appointment and said his professional experience in banking, business, corporate governance, education and community service would be valuable to the university.
He said Mr Adu Jnr’s experience as a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of a bank had exposed him to institutional leadership and the demands of a rapidly changing economic environment.
“He has maintained a strong interest in education and youth development. These experiences are particularly relevant to an institution whose academic focus brings together communications, business, professional development and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Dr. Newman said the Ministry of Education was confident that the Chancellor’s experience and counsel would complement the academic and administrative leadership of AUCB as it sought to consolidate its achievements and position itself for the future.
Institutional transformation
Dr Newman described the history of AUCB as one of institutional transformation, saying the institution had evolved from a specialised communication institution into a broader university offering programmes in communication, business and related areas.
Established in 2002 as the African Institute of Journalism and Communication, the institution later became the African University College of Communications (AUCC) and operated in affiliation with the University of Ghana before attaining its presidential charter in December 2024.
He said the journey demonstrated the need for institutions of higher learning to evolve in response to changing national and global circumstances.
He also acknowledged the contribution of private tertiary institutions to the expansion and diversification of higher education in Ghana.
He said the government regarded private institutions as important partners in human capital development, particularly through the expansion of tertiary education opportunities, innovative programmes, industry engagement and alternative pathways for young people to acquire relevant knowledge and skills.
He however, stressed on the need for private universities to maintain quality, accountability, academic integrity and responsible institutional governance.
He said the attainment of a charter came with both greater opportunity and responsibility.
“With autonomy comes the possibility to maintain high academic standards. With the freedom to develop programmes comes the obligation to ensure that such programmes remain relevant and responsive to national needs,” he said.
He urged AUCB to regard its new status not simply as an achievement to celebrate but as an opportunity to raise its ambition and contribution to national development.
Five-point vision
In his acceptance speech, Mr Adu Jnr outlined his vision for AUCB, saying the university needed to prepare its students adequately for a rapidly changing world shaped by technology, artificial intelligence, automation, financial technology, new media and entrepreneurship.
His first priority, he said, was digital transformation.
He proposed the establishment of a faculty digital transformation programme for lecturers and an AUCB Analytics and AI Centre to run short professional programmes and undertake analytics and technology transformation projects.
He said digital transformation should not be limited to what students learnt in the classroom but should also influence the way the university operated.
“Corporate life should feel familiar to them. The technologies and analytical tools they encounter should already be what we know, understand and use. This will close the distance between lecture halls and corporate spaces,” he said.
His second priority was an industry-embedded education model, which he said would help produce graduates who were ready for the workplace.
Mr Adu Jnr said industry practitioners should be involved beyond occasional guest lectures, proposing the creation of a practitioner faculty comprising experienced chief executives, entrepreneurs, communication executives, development practitioners and consultants.
He suggested that the practitioners could serve as executives-in-residence, entrepreneurs-in-residence, industry fellows or practitioners.
He said lecturers should share curricula with practitioners for their input and involve them in teaching specific topics and sharing real-life experiences and case studies.
He also called for greater attention to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and more use of African and Indian case studies instead of relying heavily on American, European and Asian examples.
He further proposed the creation of academic chairs that would bring scholars and industry practitioners together to undertake research addressing global challenges and generate practical solutions for academia and the wider business community.
Ethical leadership
Mr Adu Jnr identified ethical leadership and communication as his third priority.
He said technical competence alone was insufficient in an era characterised by digital media, artificial intelligence and instant communication.
He stressed the importance of character, integrity and sound judgement, particularly in public discourse.
According to him, misinformation, shallow analysis, generalisations and inappropriate language had affected the quality of public communication, making ethical communication and leadership an important area of focus for the university.
His fourth priority was to build a vibrant and globally connected alumni network.
He said the strength of a university was often reflected in the strength of its alumni, who could mentor young professionals, support research, contribute to scholarships, strengthen industry partnerships and serve as ambassadors for their alma mater.
He pledged to work with the alumni body to unlock its potential and build a strong global AUCB community.
Financial sustainability
The fifth priority, he said, was to ensure the financial sustainability of the university.
Mr Adu Jnr said the institution had grown significantly since its establishment and that the next phase of its development required a strong financial foundation.
He said investment in AUCB was not only an investment in the institution but also in future leaders, investors and entrepreneurs who would contribute to national development.
“As Chancellor, I will work with our shareholders, Council, management, alumni and partners to strengthen the university’s financial base, mobilise new resources and position AUCB for its next phase of growth. This is not merely desirable; it is essential,” he said.
Mr Adu Jnr pledged to serve as a bridge between academia and industry, shareholders and faculty, and management and the wider university community.
He said he would champion excellence and provide counsel to the Council, management, faculty, students, alumni and shareholders as they worked to write the next chapter of the institution’s history.
A deliberate choice
The Founder of AUCB, Mr Kojo Yankah, said the selection of Mr Adu Jnr as Chancellor was deliberate and reflected the institution’s desire to bring new ideas and energies into its development.
He said although he could have conferred the position of Chancellor on himself, he was guided by the African proverb, “Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.”
Mr Yankah said the baobab tree, which was associated with strength, resilience, versatility and longevity, had influenced the symbolism of the institution.
He said AUCB had reached an important stage in its development following the granting of its charter.
Mr Yankah expressed confidence in Mr Adu Jnr’s ability to contribute to the university’s growth, describing him as intelligent, respectable, inspiring, broad-minded, forward-looking and courageous.
He said the Chancellor’s experience would help the institution develop new courses, innovative programmes and partnerships for the benefit of Ghana and the wider Pan-African community.
He reiterated that the university’s mission was to prepare lifelong learners to become innovative problem solvers and ethical leaders in communication, business and related areas through interdisciplinary teaching, research and collaboration at the local, regional and global levels.
The ceremony subsequently marked the formal beginning of Mr Adu Jnr’s tenure as Chancellor of the university.
