Prof. Opoku Mensah inducted as second Vice-Chancellor of UniMAC

The University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) has held an investiture ceremony to induct into office its second substantive Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah.

Prof. Mensah, who, until his appointment was the acting Vice-Chancellor (VC), becomes the second VC since the implementation of the UniMAC merger.  

He took over from Prof. Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, the first VC of the school. 

As part of the ceremony, which featured different cultural displays, there were video presentations of testimonies about the capabilities of the VC.

Also, a book was opened at the event for well-wishers and the academic community to write their goodwill messages for the VC who will steer the affairs of the university.

In addition to this, the school opened a photo gallery showing the life of Prof. Opoku Mensah from childhood to the impact he has made in academia.

Rev. Francis Yaw Boamah and Rev. Kwesi Amissah-Essel — both of the Legon Interdenominational Church — led prayers to dedicate the robe and medallions that Prof. Opoku Mensah adorned after taking his official oath and oath of secrecy. 

Vision

In his address, Prof. Opoku Mensah shared his vision for the school, urging staff and management to rally around him to achieve UniMAC’s strategic objectives.

The vision is anchored on human resource development, infrastructure development and management, research and impact, policy governance, financial stability and growth, and stakeholder and community engagement.

Backing this vision, he said, was a burning passion for UniMAC to synchronise its curriculum in media, arts and communication with 21st-century skills which encompassed Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, AI is gaining eminence. In the media, arts and communication space, we keep hearing of deepfakes, cloned social media accounts, and impersonations, among others, impacting hard-earned reputations,” he said.

He urged the faculty members to start the discourse on Al, interrogate it and strategise how best to incorporate it into the school’s curriculum.

Prof. Mensah urged the community to explore public-private partnerships and innovative funding strategies to build essential infrastructure.

He highlighted the significance of policy and governance, advocating clear policies that aligned with regulatory frameworks. 

 Profile

Prof. Opoku Mensah is a Rhetoric and Media Studies scholar and was the acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Media, Arts and Communication.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Degree and Master of Philosophy Degree in English Language from the University of Cape Coast. He completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Rhetoric Studies at the Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he focused his doctoral research on the political communication of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Prof. Opoku Mensah has a deep-seated interest in Dr Nkrumah’s Pan-African rhetorical enterprise, his rhetorical artefacts, their formations and how they contributed to the creation of nationhood, and citizenship in Ghana and Africa.

He has participated in numerous international and local conferences and workshops in political rhetoric, communication studies and higher education workshops in Ghana, Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. He also serves as a reviewer for several local and international journals in rhetoric 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.

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

Prof. Mensah has served in various administrative positions and boards at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the erstwhile Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and the University of Media Arts and Communication (UniMAC).

He served as a member of the University of Cape Coast Governing Council, Academic Board, College Board, and two Faculty Boards (Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Biological Sciences), as well as the Head of the Department of Communication Studies for two terms (2016-2020) and in several other roles.

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