Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, is the Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and also the first female Vice-Chancellor of a state University in Ghana. She assumed duty on 1 October 2008 after succeeding Reverend Professor Emmanuel Addow-Obeng whose tenure of office as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast ended on that same date.

Biography

Born on November 22, 1951 in Cape Coast, Ghana, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang hails from Komenda. She attended Anglican Girl's Secondary School at Koforidua and Aburi Presby Girl's School. She then had her secondary education at the Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast from 1964 to 1971, where she was the School Prefect in her final year. She completed B. A.(Hons) Ed. at the University of Cape Coast in 1977 and obtained her Masters and Doctorate degrees from York University in Toronto, Canada in 1980 and 1986 respectively.

She has taught and worked at the University of Cape Coast from 1986. She has held various academic positions including Head of the Department of English, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Warden of Adehye Hall, Valco Trust Fund Post-Graduate Hostel, and Dean of School of Graduate Studies and Research. From 1997, she has held the position of Academic Director of the School for International Training in the History and Cultures of the African Diaspora.

In March, 2007, she was one of five eminent scholars selected from around the world to the United Nations Headquarters in New York to deliver presentations during the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery.

In October 2009, she was elected Ghana's representative to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Professional Association

She is a member of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, University Teachers Association of Ghana, English Studies Association, African Studies Association, USA, African Literature Association, USA and International Fulbright Scholars Association, among others.

Academic Works

"Where there is No Silence: Articulations of Resistance to Enslavement," Revised Inaugural Lecture to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., Lovejoy, P.E., Trotman, D.V., (2008), (eds), Africa and its Diasporas: History, Memory and Literary Manifestations Trenton, New Jersey, USA: Africa World Press.

Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., (2008), Where There is No Silence: Articulations of Resistance to Enslavement, Accra: Page Link Publishers.

Anquandah, J., Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., and Doormont, M., (2007), (eds), "The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, pp. 210–224.

"The Living Experience of the Slave Trade in Sankana and Gwollu: Literary Manifestations and Implications for Tourism" In The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, (eds) James Anquandah, Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Michel Doormont, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2007, pp.

"A Fork in the Road: Ayi Kwei Armah's Osiris Rising and Florence Ladd's Sarah's Psalm on the subject of homecoming" in (eds) Naana J. Opoku-Agyemang, with Paul E. Lovejoy and David V. Trotman (eds) Africa and its Diasporas: History, Memory and Literary Manifestations, Trenton, New Jersey, USA: Africa World Press, 2008, pp. 303–318.^[1]

Awards

She has been honoured with honorary degrees from the University of West Indies^[2] and Winston Salem University^[3]. She has also received an award for Global leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa. ^[4]

External Links

• University of Cape Coast Vice-Chancellor's Profile
• AllAfrica.com
• African Press Agency
• Myjoyonline.com

References

1. ^ http://governance.ucc.edu.gh/vcprofile
2. ^ http://www.open.uwi.edu/sites/default/files/UWI_HonoraryGraduands.pdf
3. ^ http://www.wssu.edu/about/news/2011/Dr.OpokuAgyemangAddress-m.aspx
4. ^ http://ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/features/10496-ucc-vice-chancellor-honoured-by-university-of-south-florida