Meet Professor Alexander Kwapong: The first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of University of Ghana
- The first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, was Professor Alexander Kwapong
- He had an impressive life story, chalking several successes in both Ghana and abroad in his 87 years
- The professor achieved his milestones very early in life
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Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong had a life full of achievements, going from a young professor at the age of 30 to becoming the first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana.
A report by GhanaWeb confirms that the professor was born in March 1927 and was only affectionately known as Kwabena Sei at the time.
His 87 years started on a very good note. He started lecturing at a time when Ghana itself had not gained independence.
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He was only 26 at the time, four years before Ghana's independence. It is recorded that as a brilliant and charming young man at 26, he was already lecturing in Greek, Latin, and Ancient History.
This was a great feat as not many people could even speak English in Ghana at the time, let alone other foreign languages.
By the time he turned 30, he already had his PhD. This was in 1957. Only five years after that, he became a full professor. Nothing could be thought to be more amazing than that.
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Many could have thought he had 'arrived' but Professor Alexander Kwapong must have seen it as just the beginning. Four years after becoming a full professor, he became the first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor of Ghana's premier university.
He was only 39 when he became the Vice-Chancellor. Prior to that, he had served as a Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the institution under Cruise Connor O'Brien who was an Irish and the Vice-Chancellor at that time.
The professor served until his retirement in 1976. Still, he had more to achieve as he went ahead to take up the role of a Vice-Rector of the UN University in Tokyo, Japan.
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The professor served at Tokyo until 1988 when he had another opportunity at the University of Canada.
Even after his retirement, the professor returned to Ghana and still continued to write his amazing life story. He was the Chairman of the Council of State from 2001 to 2005.
Aside all of that, Professor Kwapong left indelible footprints at Commonwealth Universities Association, Association of African Universities, The Commonwealth of Learning for Higher Education and Distance Learning, Education Reforms Committee in Ghana, World Philosophy and Humanities Council, among others.
Sadly, death took him away from the earth in August 2014.
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Ghanaian universities have been in the news lately. Just recently, YEN.com.gh reported that Central University has awarded Queendela Adu-Poku as the valedictorian for her year batch as she was adjudged the overall best student.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
