The government’s commitment to giving public university administrations and councils the freedom to function independently has been underlined by Education Minister Mr. Haruna Iddrisu.
He emphasized that the government places a high importance on academic independence and sees any outside meddling in university activities as a danger to it.
On Friday, March 21, 2025, at the Second Session of the Third Congregation of the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC) in Accra, the Minister made this declaration in a speech he gave on his behalf.
During the event, the institution awarded Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees to 205 students, 116 of whom were female and 89 of whom were male.
“I want to assure you that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, supported by his Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a former vice-chancellor herself and a highly experienced academic, is firmly committed to empowering university councils and management to perform their statutory duties without interference,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Iddrisu stated that the government is committed to giving academic boards and the administration of the various public universities the authority they need to carry out their responsibilities.
But he cautioned that if they failed to perform or took illegal activities, the Ministry would not think twice about holding them responsible.
He stated that the Ghana National Research Fund Act (Act 1056) will be operationalized and that the government places a high value on research activities since they are essential to the nation’s development.
The Act, which was approved by Parliament in 2020, aims to give universities and other research institutions long-term financial assistance for their research initiatives.
Plans to operationalize the fund to support research efforts at the various universities were far along, the Minister disclosed.
“Management structures are being put in place with seed money from GETFund to ensure that the national research fund becomes operational this year,” he said.
The Minister applauded UniMAC’s management for their dedication to maintaining quality and for making research a priority.
He gave UniMAC’s management the assurance that the government would continue to support the organization so that it could develop professionals who could compete with their peers both domestically and abroad.
UniMAC Vice-Chancellor Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah stated that the university is still dedicated to giving graduates the skills required for the economy of the twenty-first century.
“Moreover, our alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reinforces our commitment to quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), industry innovation (SDG 9), and reduced inequalities (SDG 10),” he said.
“Through research, policy advocacy, and academic excellence, we remain steadfast in shaping a future where education is the bridge to prosperity,” he added.
Professor Mensah emphasized the need for more faculty development, better student welfare, and infrastructure expansion, and he urged the government to support the institution in achieving these goals.
In order to have the influence they want, he advised the grads to be resilient, adjust to the always shifting employment market, and never stop learning.
Mr. James Amoh Junior, a postgraduate student studying development communication, told the Ghana News Agency that his academic experience was “enlightening and transformative.”
According to him, the course gave students a better grasp of how communication and sustainable development interact, giving them the skills they need to use storytelling and strategic messaging to promote social change.
“This experience has reshaped the way I approach journalism and communication. It has deepened my commitment to using my platform not just to inform but to influence policies and empower communities,” he said.