From Toilet Attendant to UMaT Vice-Chancellor: Professor Bernard Kumi-Boateng Inspires The Youth
- The University of Mines and Technology formally invested Professor Bernard Kumi-Boateng as its fourth Vice-Chancellor on August 1, 2026
- Kumi-Boateng is the first alumnus of UMaT to rise to the position of Vice-Chancellor, bringing nearly two decades of academic experience
- The newly invested Vice-Chancellor once worked as a public toilet attendant in Bantama before earning a PhD from the same institution he now leads
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The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) has officially installed Professor Bernard Kumi-Boateng as its fourth Vice-Chancellor, following a formal investiture ceremony held at the UMaT Main Auditorium in Tarkwa on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Source: UGC
The ceremony marked the end of Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah's tenure and the beginning of a new chapter for one of Ghana's foremost specialised universities.
Professor Kumi-Boateng's appointment, which took effect on the same day as the investiture, was confirmed by the University Council following a structured selection process overseen by a dedicated Search Committee.
UMaT appoints its first Alumni Vice-Chancellor
A Professor of Geomatic Engineering and former Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Studies, Professor Kumi-Boateng holds the distinction of being the first graduate of UMaT to lead the institution.
He completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at the then KNUST School of Mines, now UMaT, before earning his PhD in Geomatic Engineering from the same university.
His administrative career at UMaT has spanned several senior roles, including Dean of Students, Dean of Planning and Quality Assurance, and Head of multiple academic departments.
He brings close to two decades of combined experience in teaching, research, institutional governance and industry-academia collaboration to his new position.
The Instagram video is below:
From Bantama Toilet Attendant to UMat Vice-Chancellor
What has drawn considerable attention alongside his academic credentials is the personal story behind his rise. Born in Bantama, Kumasi, Professor Kumi-Boateng grew up in difficult circumstances and worked as a public toilet attendant in his youth while navigating uncertainty about whether he would complete his senior high school education.
His persistence and commitment to education eventually carried him through those early challenges and all the way to the highest academic office at the institution where he was trained. The university community has widely embraced his journey as a compelling example of what determination can achieve.
The Instagram video is below:
Vision for UMaT
In outlining his priorities as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kumi-Boateng has pointed to innovation, financial sustainability, quality teaching and research, and accountable governance as the central pillars of his administration.
His broader ambition is to position UMaT among the leading science and engineering universities on the African continent.
His investiture has been received positively by staff, students and other stakeholders, who have expressed confidence that his background, both professional and personal, equips him to drive meaningful progress at the institution.
KNUST appoints its13th Vice-Chancellor
Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote about Professor Christian Agyare, who was formally appointed as KNUST's 13th Vice-Chancellor at a ceremony held at the Great Hall on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II presided over the event and charged the new VC with upholding KNUST's tradition of academic excellence and transformational leadership.
Agyare replaced Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, the school's first female vice-chancellor, since August 2020.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
