The Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, has emphasized the government’s commitment to granting the management and councils of public universities the autonomy to operate independently.
He highlighted that the government values academic freedom highly and views any external interference in university affairs as a threat to this freedom.
The Minister made this statement in a speech delivered on his behalf at the Second Session of the Third Congregation of the University of Media, Arts, and Communication (UniMAC) in Accra on Friday, March 21, 2025.
The event saw the university confer Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees on 205 students, comprising 116 females and 89 males.
“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.
Mr. Iddrisu also expressed the government’s commitment to empowering academic boards and management of the various public universities to enable them to perform their duties effectively.
However, he warned that the Ministry would not hesitate to hold them accountable for non-performance or illegitimate actions.
He mentioned that the government attaches high importance to research functions because they are critical to the country’s development and promised to operationalize the Ghana National Research Fund Act (Act 1056).
Passed by Parliament in 2020, the Act is designed to provide sustainable financial support for research activities in universities and research institutions.
The Minister revealed that plans were far advanced to operationalize the fund to support research activities in the various universities.
“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 commended the management of UniMAC for its commitment to upholding excellence and for incorporating research as a key area of study.
He assured the management of UniMAC of the government’s continued support to enable it to train professionals capable of competing both locally and internationally with their peers.
Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, the Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC, said the institution remains committed to equipping graduates with the skills necessary for the 21st-century economy.
“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.
Prof. Mensah stressed the need for infrastructural expansion, improved student welfare, and enhanced faculty development, appealing to the government to provide support to the school to help achieve that objective.
He urged the graduates to be resilient, adapt to the ever-changing job market, and continue learning to make the impact they desire.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, a Development Communication postgraduate student, Mr. James Amoh Junior, described the academic journey as both “transformative and enlightening.”
He said the course provided a deeper understanding of the intersection between communication and sustainable development, equipping students with the tools to drive social change through strategic messaging and storytelling.
“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.