The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, has received the maiden Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) meritorious award.
The awardee, who became the first female Pro Vice-Chancellor and subsequently the first female Vice Chancellor (VC) of KNUST, was honoured during the third summer school organised by GTEC and attended by representatives of tertiary institutions across the nation at KNUST.
The two-day event was on the theme: “Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Leveraging Technology to safeguard education quality amid rising student enrollment”.
Professor Dickson was recognised for her tremendous contributions to the growth and development of KNUST during her tenure as Pro VC, as well as her eight-year tenure as VC, which officially ends on July 31, 2026.
Rationale
Touching on the rationale for instituting the award, the Director-General, GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, said that, for many years, national discourse has mostly focused on addressing institutional challenges.
Yet, he said, while identifying these challenges, it was also necessary and equally important to celebrate excellence wherever it exists; institutions and individuals who consistently demonstrate innovation, integrity, resilience and commitment to quality deserve recognition.
“The GTEC Meritorious Award has therefore been established to recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions to tertiary educational delivery in Ghana and to encourage a culture in which excellence is identified, celebrated and emulated”, he stated.
Institutionalise
He stressed, “It is our aim to institutionalise the GTEC Meritorious Award, shaped by an open competitive selection process where individuals worthy of recognition and emulation will be awarded by the commission”.
He stated that the winner did not pay or lobby for the award but was recognised by GTEC for her outstanding efforts towards transforming higher education in the country and across Africa.
Moving forward, he disclosed that an independent committee would be set up to receive applications, saying “once those individuals go through the process informed by nomination, they will then be awarded by the commission”.
Gratitude
In a message of gratitude, Professor Dickson expressed appreciation to GTEC for the honour and dedicated the prestigious award to the students, staff and the entire university community for their support during her administration.
She indicated that the recognition was a demonstration of the commitment of the key KNUST stakeholders in advancing teaching and learning, research, innovation and institutional development.
Sustained communication
She underscored the need for sustained communication between GTEC and tertiary institutions and said “in KNUST, we believe that there is no problem we cannot solve if we want to talk and listen to each other”.
“As tertiary institutions, we want to have more communication with GTEC before we receive letters to come to Accra for meetings.
Let us have conversations, as some of them you do not write to invite us,” she stated.
She indicated that the various higher education institutions working with GTEC and other stakeholders would continue to provide the necessary support to make the tertiary education experience for students as comfortable as possible.
Writer’s email:
