The Director of Student Affairs at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), Professor Marian Asantewah Nkansah, has urged newly elected student leaders to prioritise collaboration, service and continuity as they begin their tenure.
She said student leadership should not be regarded as an opportunity to acquire titles but as a responsibility to serve and build on the work of previous administrations.
Professor Nkansah made the call at the Joint Handing Over Ceremony for the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), KNUST Local National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG), held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Impact Building, KNUST. The ceremony was held under the theme, “From Excellence to Eminence through Collaborative Leadership and Service.”
“This ceremony is more than a change of baton. It is a celebration of service, democracy and continuity,” Professor Nkansah said, describing the event as arguably the first joint handing-over ceremony involving the University’s three major student governance bodies.
She thanked the outgoing SRC, Local NUGS and GRASAG executives for their service during the 2025/2026 academic year, saying they had led through challenges, advocated for students and represented a student population of more than 80,000.
“You have proven that student leadership is not about titles, but about sacrifice. Your names are written in the history of this great University. We appreciate you. May this experience shape you for bigger leadership tomorrow,” she said.
Professor Nkansah reminded them that their election represented a vote of confidence from students and carried an obligation to remain accountable to those they serve.
“Leadership is borrowed. It is not about you. It is about the people you serve,” she said.
She urged the new executives not to abandon projects and initiatives inherited from their predecessors simply because of a change in leadership.
“Leadership is a continuum. Don't truncate what your predecessors have started, but build on it and strike new frontiers,” she said.
Professor Nkansah linked the ceremony’s theme to KNUST’s 10-year strategic plan, PLAN 2K35, which seeks to move the University from excellence to global eminence.
“Excellence is doing things well. Eminence is when others recognise that you do things well consistently, with integrity and impact,” she said.
She said achieving that ambition would require collaboration among the SRC, Local NUGS and GRASAG rather than competition among the student bodies.
“SRC, Local NUGS and GRASAG are not rivals. You are one student family. When you work together, students win,” she said.
She also encouraged the leaders to maintain constructive relations with University Management and remain connected to students in lecture halls, laboratories and hostels.
“Lead with them, not above them, same way you went to them during the electioneering process,” she said.
Professor Nkansah charged the incoming executives to anchor their leadership on what she described as the “Three Cs”: Character, Competence and Compassion.
“Let your character speak. Let your competence show. Let your compassion lead,” she said.
She pledged the support of the Directorate of Student Affairs, saying the Directorate would train, mentor and guide the student leaders throughout their tenure.
The Deputy Director of Student Affairs in charge of Conduct and Discipline, Professor Akwasi Acheampong Aning, also counselled the new executives on responsible student leadership, urging them to uphold the University’s rules and regulations and conduct themselves in a manner befitting their positions.
He reminded the student leaders that their responsibilities extended beyond representing their respective constituencies to setting an example for the wider student body through discipline, accountability and respect for University regulations.
The Deputy Director in charge of Housing and Welfare, Professor Samuel Amos-Abanyie, encouraged the executives to work closely with the Directorate and seek its guidance in addressing issues affecting students. He urged them to remain attentive to student welfare and to use the appropriate University structures in dealing with concerns that arise during their tenure.
The ceremony included reports from outgoing Local NUGS President Matilda Dibloni Kokar, outgoing GRASAG President Yussif Suleman and outgoing SRC President Shakir Is-haq Waiz.
The outgoing and incoming executives subsequently exchanged official documents and reports and signed handing-over notes before the incoming executives took their oaths of office.
Judith Amponsah Ayim assumed office as KNUST Local NUGS President, Akwasi Sarpong Amoako as GRASAG President and Jude Michelle Korleh Nortey as SRC President for the 2026/2027 academic year.
SRC Executives
The new SRC administration also includes Nana Kwame Oppong Antwi, a BSc Electrical Engineering student, as Vice President; Stephanie Akosua Asiedu, a BSc Nursing student, as General Secretary; Nantwi-Gyeabour Kwabena, a BA Economics student, as Financial Secretary; and Rebecca Awinbila, a BSc Herbal Medicine student, as Women’s Commissioner.
GRASAG Executives
The GRASAG administration is led by Akwasi Sarpong Amoako, an MBA Marketing student, as President, with Emmanuel Boadi Ampomah, an MPhil Field Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics student, serving as Vice President.
Francisca Gyimah, an MPhil Biodata Analytics and Computational Genomics student, serves as General Secretary; David Akwasi Addai, an MBA Logistics and Supply Chain Management student, as Treasurer; Joshua Agyei, an MBA Finance student, as Organising Secretary; and Mabel Mensah, an MPhil Health Systems Research and Management student, as Gender Commissioner.
Franck Kouokam Fogang Diderique, an MPhil Information Technology student, serves as International Students’ Association (ISA) President.
Professor Nkansah concluded by encouraging the new leaders not to become obstacles to their own development.
“Don't get in the way of your own progress. Trust the process, God dey,” she said.
She wished the executives a peaceful, impactful and memorable tenure.
