Prof. Elliot Haruna Alhassan has officially taken over from Prof. Felix Kofi Abagale as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS). Prof. Elliot Alhassan becomes the 8th Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, the immediate past Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. F.K. Abagale, who was handing over after serving two terms in office, from December 1, 2019 to November, 30, 2023, expressed his gratitude to the members of the UDS community for creating an enabling environment for him to carry out his duties.  He expressed gratitude to the University Community for the support during his term of office. “No individual can succeed without the help of others”, he said.

Prof. Abagale advised the new Pro Vice-Chancellor to open up and work with members of the University Community and consult whenever the need arises.  He urged him to be firm in taking decisions and do away with rumour mongering.

For his part, the new Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Elliot H. Alhassan thanked members of the University community for electing him to serve in the high office of Pro-Vice-Chancellor. He acknowledged the fact that the responsibility was a huge one and therefore, appealed for the support of all staff and students. “I will need the support of everyone to provide the Vice-Chancellor the needed support to realise the mission and the overall vision of our university”, he said.

The Registrar, Mr. Nurudeen Issah Abubakar congratulated Prof. Alhassan on his new role and urged him to work hard to achieve his vision for the office which was in line with that of the Vice-Chancellor. He reiterated the call for him to be fair and firm in the discharge of his duties. He extended his gratitude to the outgoing Pro Vice-Chancellor for his dedicated and relentless service to the growth of the University.

The Principal of the Nyankpala Campus, Prof. Mohammed Muniru also congratulated the new Pro Vice-Chancellor and appealed to him to add the development of the Nyankpala Campus to his priority list.

Both the outgone and the new Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Abagale and Prof. Alhassan, are alumni of the University for Development Studies.

Others present at the ceremony were the Director of Academic Affairs, Mr, Wahabu Yahaya, the Deputy Director of Finance, Mr. Alhassan Iddrisu, the Director of Works and Physical Development, Ing Kwame Debrah, the Director of International Relations, Prof. Courage Saba, the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Abdul Hayi Moomen, and other officials from various units and departments.

PROFILE OF PROF E.H. ALHASSAN

Professor Elliot Haruna Alhassan was born on 27th March 1979 in Tamale to Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Alhassan. He is the second of five siblings. He started his basic education at the Canteen Primary School when his Dad who was working with the then Cotton Development Board was transferred from Tamale to Damongo, now the Savannah Regional capital.

He joined the St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Primary and Junior Secondary Schools at Basic 5 and completed with the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 1994. He later attended Tamale Senior Secondary School and completed with the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) in 1997.

In 1999, he proceeded to the University for Development Studies (UDS), pursued a 4-year BSc Agriculture Technology (Renewable Natural Resources option), and graduated with a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in 2003. He later enrolled at the University of Ghana, Legon where he obtained his MPhil and PhD Fisheries Science degrees in 2007 and 2013 respectively.

He started his academic career here in UDS from a humble beginning as a Senior Research Assistant in November 2004 with the then Department of Renewable Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Nyankpala campus. He was appointed a Lecturer in November 2008. Through hard work and the Grace of God, he was promoted to the rank of a Senior Lecturer in July 2013, an Associate Professor in July 2018, and a Professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Science on 25th March 2022 (i.e. 2 days to his 43rd birthday). He is therefore the youngest Full Professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Science in Ghana.

His research interest includes freshwater ecology, water quality assessment, fish stock assessment, management of small-scale inland fisheries, wetland ecology and conservation, impact of climate change and climate variability on inland fisheries, fish farming and contribution of small-scale inland fisheries to food security. He collaborates with several researchers in Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa, Germany and China.

Professor Alhassan has had an exceptional career in this university, combining teaching, research and community service with administrative duties. He held the following key positions.

• Dean, Faculty of Biosciences (October 2020 – Date);
• Dean, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment (November 2015 - September 2020);
• Ag. Dean, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources (October 2015);
• Vice Dean, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources (March 2014 - September 2015);
• Head, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management (May 2011 – August 2015); and
• Coordinator, Third Trimester Field Practical Programme for the Saboba District (May 2010 – July 2012).
• Professor Alhassan is a member of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Society of Ghana (FASoG), Ghana Science Association (GSA), Ghana Animal Science Association (GASA), Ghana Society for Animal Production (GSAP), International Association for Impact Assessment (Ghana Chapter), University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and Swindon-water Association.

He is the UDS Focal Point to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). He was the Deputy Coordinator of the research group, Exceed-Swindon Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Network and a member of the Management Board of the Exceed-Swindon Network. He is also a member of the sub-committee to update the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) Strategy and to develop a new IPSI Plan of Action.

Professor E. H. Alhassan is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Conservation Partners Ghana, Member of the Interim Governing Council of the Savannah College of Education in Daboya, Chairman of both the Education and Scholarship Committees of the Unity Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Sakasaka – Tamale.

He is the Patron of the Unity Congregation Church Choir, Sakasaka-Tamale, Nyankpala campus Chapters of the National Union of Presbyterian Students of Ghana (NUPS-G), and the National Association of Gonjaland Students (NAGS).

He is a recipient of a Citation of Honour for outstanding, dedicated and selfless devotion to duty in the services to the Gonja Kingdom during the 10th anniversary celebration of His Royal Majesty, Yagbonwura Tuntunba Bore Essa I, the late King of the Gonja Kingdom and President of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs.

He also delivered the Keynote Address at the 2022 Gonja Damba in Tamale on the Theme ‘promoting peaceful co-existence in Northern Region: the role of the Gonjaland community in Tamale’.

Professor Elliot Alhassan was the Chairman of the Committee for the establishment of an Enterprise Risk Management system at the University for Development Studies, which developed the Risk Management Policy, Risk Profiles and Risk Management Charter for the UDS. He was also the Chairman of a number of Disciplinary Committees that investigated misconduct of staff and students. The Chairman of the Faculty of Biosciences Board, and Chairman of the Faculty of Biosciences Appointment and Promotion Committee. He was also Chairman of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Board, where through his able leadership; the Faculty was rebranded as the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment in November 2016 to expand its mandate to include non-renewable natural resources and issues of the environment.

Professor Alhassan is also interested in career development of young faculty and therefore instituted a monthly senior member’s seminar series dubbed ‘FNRE Colloquium’ while serving as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment. He has again instituted same at the Faculty of Biosciences christened ‘Bioscience Discourse’ to serve as a platform especially for early career scientists in preparing them towards presenting papers and sharing their research findings at national and international conferences.

Professor Alhassan was also a member of the Committee on Realignment of Programmes and Rationalization of Academic Staff of UDS, member of the Committee for the conversion of UDS into three autonomous Universities, as well as member of the UDS Research Development Policy Committee.
He is a member of the Academic Board of UDS, Executive Committee of Academic Board, Scholarship Committee, Estimates Committee, Nyankpala Campus Board, Campus Finance Committee, and Campus Development Committee.

He has served as member for Ghana Tertiary Education Commission Panel of Assessors to undertake an assessment exercise of both undergraduate and postgraduate progammes at the University of Ghana, Legon and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.

Professor Alhassan has supervised 56 undergraduate dissertations and 18 postgraduate thesis. He serves as an External Examiner of postgraduate thesis from the Department of Marine and Fisheries Science, University of Ghana, Legon, and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, University of Cape Coast. He is also an External Assessor for promotion of senior members for a number of universities. He also served as a part-time lecturer at the Department of Fisheries and Water Resources, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani and the Institute of Local Government Studies, Tamale campus.

In terms of Grants and Projects, he was a member of the Volta Basin Project on water quality profile in specific ecosystems of the Volta Basin (Burkina Faso –Togo – Ghana) in view of risk assessment funded by Exceed-Swindon Network, Aquaculture Innovation Lab Project on Genetic resource base of tilapias in Northern Volta Basin adaptable to Climate Change funded by USAID,. WASH Project in 479 communities in Northern Region of Ghana funded by UNICEF, the Exceed-Swindon Network Travel Grants to attend scientific workshops and conferences in Jordan, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso, and the IPSI Travel Grant to attend a conference in South Korea.

He is a peer reviewer for many local and international journals. These include the West African Journal of Applied Ecology, Tanzania Journal of Science, Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, The Proceedings of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Reviews in Aquaculture, Marine and Freshwater Research, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Lakes and Reservoirs,  International Aquaculture Research, Science of the Total Environment amongst others. He is also a member of the editorial boards of the Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development, and UDS International Journal of Development.

Professor Elliot Haruna Alhassan represents a rare breed of Senior University Academics and Administrators who combine very demanding and busy administrative duties with substantive teaching, research and community service. This is evidenced by his stellar teaching record, research output, and management experience and community service over the years.

Professor Alhassan has over 150 scientific publications to his credit including 72 articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, 6 book chapters, 70 referenced conference proceedings, and 8 technical reports. He has attended and presented papers at international conferences, scientific meetings and workshops including:

• the Plenary Meeting of the Exceed-Swindon Network in Amman, Jordan, November - December 2021;
• the Great Lakes of the World (GLOW) 9 Conference on emerging frontiers for African Great Lakes. Promoting blue economy, food security, and conservation, held in Kisumu, Kenya, August 2019;
• the Sub-Saharan Africa Exceed-Swindon Regional Meeting at Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in August 2019;
• the Regional Experts’ Workshop on modern and traditional methods of water resource management in Africa held in Durban, South Africa, May 2019;
• the International Conference on Water Security and Climate Change. Nairobi, Kenya, December 2018;
• the meeting on collaboration on joint tilapia research project and joint bachelor’s degree programme in Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences held in Shanghai Ocean University, China, October 2018;
• the International Training Workshop on Holistic Approach to Water Resources Management in Africa, held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, June 2018;
• the International Training Course on Combating Desertification held in Konya and Mersin, Turkey, July 2017;
• the scientific research meeting through the Volta Basin Project on water quality profile in specific ecosystems of Volta Basin within Exceed- Swindon Network. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, December 2015;
• the 5th International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) Global Conference (IPSI-5) held in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, October 2014;
• the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 12). Conference Opening & Side-Event Programme. Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, October 2014; and
• the meeting on collaborative research and staff development with the Faculty of Agri-Sciences held in Stellenbosch University, Republic of South Africa, May 2014.

Professor E. H. Alhassan was the Moderator of a Panel discussion at the second Regional Consultative Dialogue on Small Scale Mining and Deforestation organized by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. He served as a Local Expert to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluation field mission to Mole National Park for its inscription as a World Heritage Site. He was a Guest Speaker at the third Biennial Conference of District Directors of Agriculture on the theme: Decentralization and its impact on Agriculture, and a Guest Speaker at the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) Beijing Chapter on the topic: Academic research and publications. He was Chairman, Organizing Committee of the Exceed-Swindon Sub-Saharan Africa Conference 2021 on water resources management in Africa: current and future challenges.

Professor E. H. Alhassan envisions sharing his knowledge and leadership through teaching, research, community and consultancy services, and mentoring of staff and students in order to create a more inclusive society.

Throughout his working life, he displayed the highest degree of responsibility and showed leadership in all the positions he occupied at the UDS. His level of fairness is an index of his high respect for different ideas and perspectives. For those who are familiar with his professional and administrative contributions to the UDS academic community, he is simply an outstanding young but matured personality.

He is married to Madam Godslove Adjeiwaa Kordie, a Chartered Management Consultant and currently an Assistant Registrar with the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, UDS. The union is blessed with three children, Ellis, Edwin and Elissa. He is a Presbyterian and worships with the Unity Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Sakasaka-Tamale. His hobbies are walking, listening to country music and watching documentaries.

Story by:
Tahiru Abdulai Alhassan
(UDS Media)