Professor Vera Ogeh Fiador of the University of Ghana has been elected President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), becoming the first woman to hold the position in the association’s history.
She was sworn in on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, during the 22nd UTAG Biennial Congress at Aburi in the Eastern Region, following her election on August 5.
Prof. Fiador, a professor of finance, succeeds Prof. Mamudu A. Akudugu after his two-year tenure.
In her acceptance speech, she described universities as “the beating heart and curious mind” of a nation, stressing the vital role of academics in shaping national progress.
“We test ideas against evidence, translate curiosity into cures, turn questions into industries, and we shape the character of a generation that will outlive us all,” she said.
She warned, however, that the social contract between academia and society had weakened, citing declining public trust, underinvestment, and the perception of scholars as “too theoretical”.
Prof. Fiador highlighted poor conditions of service as a major concern, arguing that they undermined the ability of universities to attract and retain talent.
“In Ghana today, young minds meant for research and academia would rather do private consulting or even politics because it pays better,” she observed.
She cautioned that this misalignment of incentives was steering human capital away from sectors critical for long-term national development.
Calling for a “new paradigm of respect for academia”, she urged the government to provide reliable funding, industry to co-create locally relevant innovations, and the media to elevate nuanced discourse over sensationalism.
She also appealed to students and citizens to value evidence and curiosity. “Respect for academics is not vanity. “Respect for academics is the oxygen that lets good ideas breathe,” she said.
Prof. Fiador pledged to lead UTAG with transparency and purpose, working to secure fair conditions and strengthen the relevance of academia to Ghana’s development.
