The appointment of the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson has been renewed for a second term of two years.
Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson who historically is the first female VC of the KNUST after her appointment as VC in 2020 will effectively on August 1, 2024 continue to serve the university community till July 31, 2026.
A communique signed by Registrar/Secretary to the university council on Thursday, June 20, 2024 said “it is announced for the information of Members of Staff, Students, the entire University Community and the General Public that the Council of the University at its 282nd (Regular) Meeting held on Thursday. 20 June, 2024, approved the recommendations of the Committee set up by the Council to evaluate the application for renewal of appointment of the Vice-Chancellor for a second term of two (2) years.”
During the first tenure of Prof. Akosua Dickson, the university has witnessed significant progress in terms of infrastructure, research, academic and extracurricular awards including earning the feat as the number one global destination of quality education (SDG 4)in 2023 (the 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings).
She also introduced the SONSOL project which awarded brilliant but needy students laptops to aid their academic work among other initiatives.
Following the renewal of her appointment for a second term, the university community hopes for massive improvements as the university consolidates its gains in various areas.
Brief Profile of Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson sighted from Graphic Online
Rita Akosua Dickson was Born on August 1, 1970. She is a Ghanaian phytochemist and she became the first female Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the KNUST on October 1, 2018 when she took over from Rev. Prof. Charles Ansah.
She is an alumna of KNUST and graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1994.
She undertook her national service at the Department of Pharmacognosy and also had her internship at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
Prof. Dickson obtained her M.Pharm (Pharmacognosy) in 1999 and was appointed a lecturer in 2000.
In 2003, she was awarded a Commonwealth scholarship to pursue her PhD at King’s College, University of London, United Kingdom (UK).
After obtaining her PhD, she also acquired a certificate in Academic Practice from the same university.
Prof. Dickson returned to Ghana in 2007 and was promoted to the position of senior lecturer in 2009 and subsequently became an associate professor in 2014.
In September 2018, she was appointed the pro-vice chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, making her the first female to occupy that position.
Prior to her appointment as pro-vice-chancellor, she was the dean of the faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.
Prof Dickson currently serves as a board member of the Pharmacy Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.