Prof Eric Opoku Mensah Is Acting Vice-Chancellor Of UniMAC

The University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) has announced the appointment of Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah as its Acting Vice-Chancellor, effective from 8th February 2024.

He takes over from the previous Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo following his retirement.

Prof. Opoku Mensah holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language and a Master of Philosophy Degree in English Language from the University of Cape Coast.

He obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. His doctoral research focused on examining the political communication of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, with a deep interest in Nkrumah’s pan-African rhetorical enterprise, rhetorical artefacts, and their contributions to nationhood and citizenship in a developing democratic society.

Prior to this appointment, Prof. Opoku Mensah served as the Rector of the Institute of Journalism, a constituent of the University.

In a statement issued on 15th February 2024, the University remarked, “Prof. Opoku Mensah brings a wealth of experience and expertise in higher education management to this role, having served as the Deputy Rector and later, Rector of the Institute of Journalism, a constituent institute of the University.”

The governing council of the university lauded Prof. Opoku Mensah as an outstanding scholar who has “served the academic community with distinction for several years and has a proven track record of leadership and innovation, exemplifying the core values of UniMAC through his dedication to academic excellence, research, and student welfare.”

The statement further noted, “His vision for higher education aligns seamlessly with the university’s commitment to fostering a dynamic learning environment that prepares students for success in the modern world.”

Prof. Opoku Mensah is expected to guide UniMAC in its ongoing pursuit of academic excellence, fostering collaboration among faculty, staff, and students, and advancing the university’s mission of becoming a globally recognized center for excellence in the training of media, arts, and communication professionals.

Profile of the Vice-Chancellor (AG.)

Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah is a Rhetoric and Media Studies scholar and the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), having served previously as the Deputy Rector and later, Rector of the Institute of Journalism, a constituent institute under the University.

Prof. Opoku Mensah holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language and a Master of Philosophy Degree in English Language from the University of Cape Coast. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he focused his doctoral research on an examination of the political communication of Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He has a deep-seated research interest in Nkrumah’s pan-African rhetorical enterprise, his rhetorical artefacts, their formations, and how they have contributed to the creation of nationhood and citizenship in a burgeoning democratic society.

Prof. Opoku Mensah has attended many international conferences and workshops and also serves as a reviewer for several local and international journals in language and communication studies. Again, he serves as an External Assessor for the National Accreditation Board (NAB), now Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and as an External Examiner for some public and private universities in Ghana. He is a frequent visiting scholar at Uppsala University, Sweden. He has numerous peer-reviewed articles in both local and international Journals to his name.

Apart from his academic work, Prof. Opoku Mensah has considerable experience in Ghana’s higher education landscape in terms of policy framework and university union leadership. He has participated in numerous workshops and forums on higher education policy developments both locally and internationally with the International Labor Organization (ILO) conference in Geneva and the Education International Conference (EI) in Taipei and Bangkok as notable mentions.

He is also a past National President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), after having served as Local President and Local Vice President of the University of Cape Coast chapter of UTAG.

He has served in various administrative positions and boards including serving as a member of the University of Cape Coast Governing Council, Academic Board, College Board, and Faculty Boards, as well as the Head of the Communication Studies Department and several other roles.

He has a clear understanding of Ghana’s higher education policy framework and has participated in several workshops on the new Tertiary Education Policy in Ghana and participated in critical discussions on the University Bill.

Prof. Opoku Mensah has won several grants from the Swedish Council for Higher Education, Education International, Swedish National Bank, The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) and Uppsala Forum for Democracy, Peace and Justice, among others.

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