The Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) has inducted Professor Kwaku Adutwum Ayim Boakye as the Vice-Chancellor and Dr Anthony Hercules Turkson as the Registrar, respectively, of the University. Being the third Vice-Chancellor succeeding Prof. Joshua Owusu-Sekyere, he pledged to activate an open-door policy that was inclusive and transformative with dedicated stewardship. Addressing a colourful ceremony on Friday, graced by representatives of sister technical universities, students, friends and family, the Tourism Professor touted the mission of the university as producing high-quality manpower needs of the country. He said the university was aware of the exigencies of the times, which demanded technologically capable, climate aware, emotionally intelligent and morally upright graduates to achieve organisational goals. For that matter, he stated that the university's empowering skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration had heightened its excellence in producing cutting-e dge innovative interventions to ease some human endeavours. Typical of such are the invention of solar-powered tricycles, solar-driven automatic handwashing machines, bamboo base sanitary pads, and strong partnerships with industry for job creation and entrepreneurship. Equally, the CCTU had been outstanding in winning several international awards, while a grant writing team had won many grants totalling GHC3 million to support research, innovation and skills development. Prof. Boakye rallied support in achieving the five pillars of the university's 2021-2025 Strategic Vision of quality teaching and learning, research and innovation, infrastructural development, enhanced student welfare, community outreach and institutional capacity. 'After studying the system for six months, I am convinced that adopting a corporate and entrepreneurial mindset and culture is the 'sine qua non' for our achievement of greatness and global recognition, he said. 'To this end, my management team will build on the gains achiev ed in the past by adopting the philosophy of Institutionalised intentional excellence.' 'This maxim is based on our strategy to harness the undeniable God-given intelligence of each worker of CCTU and position it to be both intentional and institutionalised.' Having published 45 scholarly and technical papers and played a key advisory role in many projects, committees of government and international bodies on tourism development, he was exceedingly grateful for his elevation after his 19-year career in tourism. With research interests in tourism safety, governance, transatlantic slave trade and destination management, Prof Boakye has successfully trained more than 10 PhDs and 20 M Phil holders. Administratively, he had occupied many portfolios including being the Dean of International Relations at the University of Cape Coast in 2019, until his new appointment. Though born in Takoradi to Dr Joseph Kwasi Ayim Boakye (deceased) and Mrs Comfort Ayim Boakye, the CCTU Vice-Chancellor had spent more than 42 ye ars of his life in Cape Coast. He has six siblings and is a Christian with two children. Dr Turkson, the Registrar, on the other hand, started as an Assistant Planning Officer at the university in 2007 and rose through the ranks with a total of 32 papers. He was born in August 1971 at Assin Fosu. Presiding, Prof Harold Amonoo Kwofie, the Chairman of the Council, said the ceremony signified the beginning of a new chapter of leadership for the University for growth and development. He urged the leadership to renew its sense of nationalism and fiercely fight social ills that would derail its course of achieving service in integrity and development. 'You are now the face of the University, and everybody will be monitoring your style of leadership,' he said. 'Therefore, you must bear the responsibility of upholding the values and traditions that have sustained its growth over the years.' Source: Ghana News Agency
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