The Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has presented the name of Professor Christian Agyare as the university’s next Vice-Chancellor to Chancellor and Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has affirmed the selection and directed that the appointment be publicly announced.

The appointment positions Professor Agyare to succeed the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, whose tenure ends on 31 July.

Professor Agyare emerged as the preferred candidate following a council vote after a competitive selection process governed by the university’s statutes.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II assured the university of continued support for its leadership and administration during the transition.

“We will continue to offer our support for all leaders of the school, just as we have done for Akosua and her predecessors,” the Asantehene said during a meeting with the university’s governing council at the Manhyia Palace.

Professor Agyare currently serves as Provost of the College of Health Sciences and is expected to assume office on 1 August 2026.

His appointment comes at a time KNUST is expanding its digital infrastructure and strengthening its international research profile, while also managing challenges involving labour relations, funding pressures and increasing student enrolment.

The transition also marks the end of the tenure of Professor Rita Dickson, the first female Vice-Chancellor in KNUST’s history, following months of debate over a proposed extension of her tenure that triggered petitions and legal concerns from some unions and alumni groups.

The KNUST Governing Council delegation to Manhyia was led by Council Chairman Akyeamfour Asafo Boakye and included Professor Rita Dickson, Professor Abdul Samed Munraka and Shakir Is-Haq Waiz.