Akufo-Addo swears in Chinery-Hesse as new UG Chancellor

President Nana Akufo-Addo has sworn in Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse as the 10th Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG), Legon.

This makes her the first female Chancellor of the university, succeeding former UN boss Kofi Annan, who served for 10 years.

Mrs Chinery-Hesse is expected to serve the university for 5 years.

Speaking at the investiture in Accra on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, Mr Akufo-Addo lauded the University Council and management for appointing Mrs Chinery-Hesse.

He said the university administration could not have picked a “worthier successor” to Mr Annan than Mrs Chinery-Hesse.

He admonished the new Chancellor and all heads of tertiary institutions to make adequate preparations for the expected increase in the number of Senior High School (SHS) leavers, as a result of government’s Free SHS policy, adding the policy will be “a permanent feature of our educational architecture”.

The president further pledged government’s support to the various tertiary institutions in order to admit a higher number of students in the next academic year.

For her part, Mrs Chinery-Hesse promised to use her experience to develop the university and raise the standard of learning at the country’s premier tertiary institution.

“I promise to bring to bear as well, as the Chancellor, the formidable skills I have garnered in my many international interventions… We will confront the problems and I assure everybody that all will be amicably resolved”.

She said her vision for the university is “rooted in Ghanaian and African realities and want to create an institution which is authoritative in research on Ghana and Africa at the highest level of quality by any international measure”.

She commended the strides made by past Chancellors and the improvement in the gender ratio – recording high female students over the years.

Mrs Chinery-Hesse said the universityy wishes to create a “home” welcoming to scholars of international standard from all over the world and from a rich variety of cultures”.

She also lauded the president for introducing some key educational reforms which she described as key interventions that will improve the education sector.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3FM