The pharmacy profession recorded another defining moment in Ghana’s higher education history as distinguished pharmacist, academic and researcher, Professor Christian Agyare, was formally invested as the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The colourful ceremony, held at the Great Hall of KNUST on Saturday, 1 August 2026, was presided over by the Chancellor of the University and Asantehene, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. It brought together a distinguished assembly of government officials, traditional rulers, academics, religious leaders, industry executives, alumni, students and representatives of professional bodies.

President John Dramani Mahama was represented by the Chief of Staff, Dr Julius Debrah. Other dignitaries included the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams; the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene; members of the KNUST Governing Council; senior university officials and representatives of Ghana’s corporate and professional sectors.

Pharmacy fraternity rallies behind one of its own

The occasion was particularly significant for Ghana’s pharmaceutical fraternity. Key personalities from pharmaceutical practice, academia and industry were present to celebrate the elevation of one of the profession’s most distinguished members. The pharmacy delegation was led by the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Dr Paul Owusu Donkor, PhD, who joined other senior pharmacists, pharmaceutical industry leaders and representatives of professional institutions to witness the historic ceremony.

Their strong presence reflected the collective pride of the profession in Professor Agyare’s elevation and affirmed the growing contribution of pharmacists beyond traditional healthcare settings into research, institutional governance, education, industry and national leadership. Professor Agyare is a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the Ghana College of Pharmacists. In 2025, he was named Academic Pharmacist of the Year at the maiden PSGH Pharma Excellence Awards in recognition of his contribution to pharmaceutical education, scientific research, mentorship and academic leadership. Ahead of the investiture, the PSGH leadership had paid a courtesy call on the then Vice-Chancellor-designate to formally congratulate him and assure him of the profession’s support. During that engagement, Dr Owusu Donkor described the appointment as a source of immense pride for pharmacists in Ghana and beyond. “Your appointment demonstrates what is possible when excellence, hard work, integrity and visionary leadership come together. It is a proud moment not only for KNUST but for pharmacists across Ghana and beyond,” the PSGH President stated during the earlier visit. Read about the PSGH leadership’s visit.

Pharmacist succeeds another pharmacist

Professor Agyare succeeds Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, another distinguished pharmacist and Professor of Pharmacognosy, who became KNUST’s first female Vice-Chancellor in 2020. Professor Dickson holds Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Pharmacy qualifications from KNUST and a PhD in Pharmacy Research from King’s College London. Her tenure was marked by expansion in research, infrastructure, digital transformation, student support and international partnerships. The succession therefore represents a remarkable continuity of pharmacy leadership at one of Africa’s leading science and technology universities. A pharmacist has handed over the stewardship of KNUST to another pharmacist, an uncommon milestone that highlights the breadth of competencies pharmacists bring to institutional management, scientific advancement and national development.

A distinguished academic and researcher

Professor Agyare assumes office after more than two decades of service to KNUST and the wider international academic community. He obtained his Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Pharmacy degrees from KNUST before earning a Doctor rerum naturalium degree from the University of Münster in Germany. He subsequently undertook postdoctoral and research appointments at Novartis/Seeding Labs in Boston and the University of California, San Francisco. As a Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Natural Products, his research spans antimicrobial resistance, natural-products pharmacology, ethnopharmacology, wound healing, parasitology and anticancer drug discovery.

According to KNUST, he has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, attracted over 5,000 citations and secured more than US$11 million in competitive research grants and institutional support from organisations including the German Research Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service, Mastercard Foundation, World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

He has also served as the first African member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research and has contributed to the editorial work of more than 30 international journals. Read Professor Agyare’s official KNUST profile.

Record of institutional leadership

Before becoming Vice-Chancellor, Professor Agyare served as Provost of the KNUST College of Health Sciences from 2020 to 2026, overseeing the University’s largest and most complex academic college. Under his leadership, the College introduced 16 postgraduate and eight undergraduate programmes, expanded postgraduate enrolment and graduation, strengthened research and partnerships, and undertook significant infrastructure development. He had previously served as Head of KNUST’s Quality Assurance and Planning Unit between 2016 and 2020. During that period, he led reforms in staff appraisal, programme accreditation, research supervision and institutional policy development. He also helped introduce online systems and a multipurpose smart identification card for staff and students.

These experiences position him to lead a university whose mandate spans science, technology, engineering, health, agriculture, business, the humanities and the creative arts.

Seven-point agenda for KNUST

His priorities include transforming education through innovation, strengthening governance and institutional accountability, improving the welfare of students and staff, revitalising the collegiate system, modernising physical and digital infrastructure, expanding international partnerships and diversifying the University’s revenue base. He also signalled his intention to integrate artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into academic and administrative functions, including admissions, student lifecycle management, budgeting, recruitment, performance evaluation and institutional planning.

Professor Agyare further pledged to strengthen collaboration between KNUST and industry, expand research commercialisation, support entrepreneurship and business incubation, and introduce more flexible academic pathways capable of producing graduates who can create jobs and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s development. His administration will build on KNUST’s strategic PLAN 2K35, with emphasis on adaptive governance, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and collective responsibility. Read more about his strategic agenda.

A call to purposeful leadership

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II charged the new Vice-Chancellor to build upon the foundations laid by his predecessors and advance KNUST’s standing in teaching, research, innovation and global competitiveness. Professor Agyare, for his part, pledged to pursue a collaborative and inclusive style of leadership that harnesses the strengths of students, faculty, staff, alumni, industry and development partners.

His four-year term runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2030.

For the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the wider pharmacy fraternity, the investiture was more than a ceremonial transition. It was a celebration of professional excellence, scientific scholarship and the expanding influence of pharmacists in national life. As Professor Christian Agyare takes responsibility for steering one of Ghana’s foremost universities, his journey stands as compelling evidence that the pharmacist’s contribution extends far beyond medicines. It reaches into scientific discovery, institutional transformation, human-capital development and the leadership of society itself.