Exercising their rights under the Statutes of KAAF University College, the Governing Council, in consultation with the Board of Directors and Academic Board, has appointed Professor Herbert Kwabla Dei as Rector to serve as the academic and administrative head, and the Chief Disciplinary Officer of the University College.
The search for a suitably qualified candidate, who embodies the ideals of this college, possesses the capacity to move the college to new heights, and understands, clearly, the new regulatory requirements imposed by the coming into force of the Education Bodies Regulatory Act, 2020 (ACT 1023), has been long and difficult.
KAAF’s quest for Presidential Charter by 2024, as stipulated by Act 1023, necessitated the selection and eventual recruitment of a person of high caliber and impeccable credentials, who is not only well vest in contemporary academic affairs, but also have links and social capital to
- entice highly qualified faculty within and outside Ghana
- facilitate the rapid development graduate programmes to meet the demand of our growing alumni and industry players
- attract strategic investment partners and like-minded individuals or companies
- collaborate with reputable international universities in UK, India, Europe, etc.
His appointment as Rector of KAAF University College has not only received the highest endorsement of Council, but has also attracted excellent recommendation and goodwill from all and sundry.
Professor Dei is an agricultural scientist and Professor of Animal Nutrition. He is a Fulbright Senior African Research Scholar, who has published extensively in reputable journals, and presented several papers at both local and international conferences.
His academic career spans over 37 years, beginning as a teacher with the Ghana Education Service and rising to the rank of a Senior Superintendent before joining the University of Development Studies (UDS), Tamale. He has a rich and unparalleled service in critical leadership roles in a university setting at the University for Development Studies, Tamale. He is a former
- Head of Department for Animal Science Department
- Dean of Graduate Studies
- Director of the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance
- Director of Drylands Research Institute
- Chairman, UDS Institutional Review Board
- Chairman, Workforce Development Committee
- Chairman, USAID/Africa RISING Workshop Planning Committee
- Co-Chairman, UDS 20th Anniversary Planning Committee
- Co-ordinator, DelPHE Link Project between UDS and HAUC-UK
In addition to the above, Prof. Dei has chaired and or served on several other Boards/Committees including Governing Councils. He is an Editorial Board Member of Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica of Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic, Subject Editor of Journal of Ghana Science Association, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Dryland Ecosystems.
He is a member of several professional Associations and served as the National President of Ghana Science Association, Secretary/Vice-President of University Teachers Association of Ghana-UDS, and his professional network(s) and impact through community engagements is quite remarkable.
On Friday 28th October 2022 a colorful investiture ceremony was held to officially present Professor Herbert Kwabla Dei as the 8th Rector of KAAF University College. Professor Kwame Bosiako Omane-Antwi, Chaiman of the Governing Council of KAAF University College swore him into office and administered the oath of office. The event which took place at the main Fetteh Kakraba campus is the first of its kind since KAAF was founded and signifies the prestige and significance of Professor Dei’s appointment as Rector.
KAAF University Colleges is a science-bias circular university that is not only committed to making high quality education accessible to deserving and motivated individuals but we also strive, through active collaboration with major stakeholders, to ensure that our academic offerings are in-demand and job-ready, and results in readily exportable skills.
Although KAAF commenced enrolling students decades after the first private tertiary institutions were established in Ghana, KAAF is still the first private university
- to be established in the Central Region of Ghana;
- to offer undergraduate engineering programmes to students who could not gain admission into public universities;
- to begin a bridging (top-up) pathway for working diploma holders in engineering;
- to graduate B.Sc. Civil Engineering, B.Sc. Construction Technology, and Geomatic Engineering students in Ghana;
- to offer an undergraduate programme in political science to prospective students;
- to have student membership in Ghana Institution of Engineers and Ghana Institution of Surveyors.
To date, the Founder of KAAF University College, Mr. Michael Aidoo has awarded full and partial scholarships to more than 300 students deemed to have been previously disadvantaged and/or having extreme financial difficulties, and have demonstrated deserving of this opportunity.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Professor Herbert Kwabla Dei
