The School of Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR) has held a formal handover ceremony marking the transition of leadership from Prof. Ebenezer Malcalm to Prof. Frank Gyimah Sackey on February 6, 2026.
The event also served as an occasion to honour Prof. Malcalm’s contributions and legacy, providing a platform for faculty members, lecturers and staff of the School to pay tribute to the outgoing Dean, who also serves as Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University.
In his farewell remarks, Prof. Malcalm reflected on his journey at the University, describing the moment as one filled with mixed emotions. He recalled joining the institution in 2016 as Director of the Centre for Online Learning and Teaching (COLT) before being appointed Dean of the Graduate School three months later by the then President, the late Prof. Osei Darkwa.
According to him, he initially expressed reservations about the appointment, citing his short time at the University but Prof. Darkwa insisted, expressing confidence in his abilities and vision. Prof. Malcalm explained that one of his earliest mandates was to restructure the Graduate School, a process that involved consultations with key stakeholders and the creation of a portfolio system to better manage graduate programmes.
He further noted that as the University transitioned from a private to a public sector institution, the Graduate School underwent significant reforms. Graduate programmes were reassigned to their respective academic departments, with SGSR repositioned as an administrative and coordinating hub. He described the transition as challenging but ultimately successful.
Under his leadership, the University developed its own master’s programmes, phased out the transnational education model and secured accreditation for the Takoradi and Kumasi campuses, which had previously operated under the Accra campus.
Prof. Malcalm expressed confidence in his successor, describing Prof. Sackey as a trusted colleague with whom he shares a strong working relationship. He also thanked the staff of SGSR for their commitment and support throughout his tenure.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Sackey expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor and University Management for the confidence reposed in him. He noted that the appointment was a reflection of Management’s satisfaction with his performance and pledged to continue working diligently to advance the School’s mandate.
Prof. Sackey traced his academic leadership journey, recounting his service as Head of the Economics Department, Acting and Substantive Director of the Institute of Continuing and Distance Education (ICDE) and Vice-Dean of SGSR before assuming his current role. He thanked the staff of SGSR for their warm reception and called for continued collaboration, expressing optimism about the future of the School.
Goodwill messages were delivered by several Deans, faculty members, lecturers and administrative staff, including Dr. Mark Ofori Nketia, Dr. Nusrat-Jahan Abubakar, Prof. George Ampong, Dr. Esther Asiedu, Dr. Ruhiya Abubakar and Prof. Theresa Obuobisa-Darko, all of whom highlighted Prof. Malcalm’s leadership impact and dedication to the University.
