The Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, has reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to upholding quality and credibility in tertiary education, despite a recent High Court ruling.
“However, let me be absolutely clear that the ruling does not diminish our commitment to protecting the quality and credibility of tertiary education in Ghana,” he stated.
The case relates to GTEC’s directive that certificates from the Universidad Empresarial de Costa Rica (UNEM) should not be used for teaching, appointments, promotions or career progression within Ghana’s tertiary education system.
The High Court, however, quashed the directive that sought to invalidate doctoral degrees awarded by the institution, ruling that administrative decisions affecting citizens must be made fairly and reasonably under the 1992 Constitution.
Prof. Jinapor made the remarks at the investiture of Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) at the weekend.
He explained that the UNEM case had raised serious concerns about the quality and recognition of qualifications from certain foreign institutions.
He, therefore, cautioned prospective students and professionals to exercise due diligence before committing their time, resources and aspirations to such programmes.
Prof. Jinapor reiterated that GTEC, as the statutory regulator of both public and private tertiary institutions under the Education Reform Act, 2020 (Act 1023), remained firm in its mandate to safeguard academic standards.
He said the commission’s actions against unaccredited institutions and questionable programmes were intended to protect the integrity of Ghana’s tertiary education system.
The Director-General disclosed that the commission had recently published a list of 90 institutions across various countries that were not recognised due to quality assurance concerns, and urged prospective students to be vigilant.
He further called for frank engagement on challenges relating to quality, funding and relevance in tertiary education delivery.
Prof. Jinapor stressed that graduates must be equipped with skills relevant to the needs of the economy, while universities and colleges must uphold high standards of academic integrity.
He also expressed GTEC’s commitment to supporting UCC in its mission to produce graduates of character and competence, and to ensure that its degrees remain credible and globally respected.
In his acceptance speech, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto, pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessors.
“Together, we must strengthen our academic programmes, deepen our research outputs, and enhance our community engagement whilst ensuring that UCC remains a lighthouse of knowledge illuminating the path for Ghana, Africa, and the world,” he explained.
He further committed to prudent financial management, strengthened governance, investment in human capital, transformative learning and strategic partnerships to drive institutional growth.
“Together, we will secure UCC’s future as a leading university that continues to thrive and prepare students for an increasingly dynamic and interconnected world,” he added.
Prof. Aheto also paid tribute to past Vice-Chancellors for laying a solid foundation for the university’s growth.
Picture: Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), addressing the investiture ceremony of Professor Denis Worlanyo Aheto as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast
FROM DAVID O.YARBOI-TETTEH, CAPE COAST
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