OFFICE OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR 
                                                                            
  
 
MAIDEN MEETING OF THE CORPORATE ADVISORY TEAM 
ANNUAL NEW YEAR SCHOOL & CONFERENCE (ANYSC) 
 
 
 
ADDRESS BY: 
 
PROFESSOR NANA ABA APPIAH AMFO 
VICE - CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
APRIL 2022 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Good morning distinguished ladies and gentlemen, thank you for extending an invitation 
to me to join you for the inaugural meeting of the Corporate Advisory Team. I would like 
to start off by expressing my appreciation to you once again for accepting to support the 
University in this capacity. 
 
 
The Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC), one of the most anticipated 
and well participated scholarly activity, which has become a long-standing tradition here 
at the University of Ghana, is currently undergoing some reformation. This is to ensure 
that it remains functional and relevant among stakeholders, bearing in mind the changing 
global dynamics. 
 
 
The process of re-strategising is to be championed by a team of distinguished and very 
accomplished personalities with high level of integrity including Dr. Ishmael Yamson, 
an accomplished corporate executive and former Chair of the University Council; the 
Honourable Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; the first female Chief of Staff of the 
Republic of Ghana, Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, a seasoned entrepreneur with one 
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of the largest conglomerates in Ghana, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong; Governor of the Bank 
of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison together with Rotarian Jack Andrews Dotsey, an 
experienced academic and Dean of the School of Continuing and Distance, Prof. Olivia 
A. T. F. Kwapong; and a Senior Assistant Registrar, Mrs. Regina Afari Boateng providing 
administrative support. The team will be chaired by Hon. Sam Okudzeto, an astute lawyer 
and a stateman. 
 
 
The principal role of the Corporate Advisory Team would be to assist the School of 
Continuing and Distance Education to create, develop and manage resources with the 
goal of ensuring financial sustainability of the Annual New Year School and Conference. 
In addition, the Team shall: 
 
a. Set up an endowment fund for the promotion and institutional advancement of 
the ANYSC. 
b. Ensure that the ANYSC aligns its objectives with the mission and vision of the 
University and the developmental agenda of the country as a whole. 
c. Evaluate on a regular basis, the effectivenes of the School and Conference in 
accomplishing its core mandate. 
d. Conduct an annual assessment of the performance of the Annual New Year 
School and Conference. 
a. Evaluate the effectiveness of allocation of resources. 
 
b. Assess the effectiveness of individual Team members as a whole. 
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c. Set up a foundation for the ANYSC and to review and approve on annual basis, a 
spending policy. 
 
 
The School and Conference as you are aware seeks to mobilize various individuals, 
groups and associations in and outside Ghana to participate and support the most critical 
conversation of the country. Outcomes of the School and Conference feeds into policy 
formulation and regulations, legislative instruments, bills and other significant work 
streams of Government to ensure sustainable development. 
 
 
As I mentioned at the inauguration of the Team, held during the Opening Ceremony of 
the 73rd Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC), it is our expectation that 
the Corporate Advisory Team will serve as a critical bridge between academia and 
industry to mobilize resources for expanding and sustaining the ANYSC brand. 
 
 
Chair, permit me to add that two major projects stand out for us: 
 
1. An Endowment Fund to organize the event and also operationalize and 
implement the communique that results from the event, with special focus on both 
in-school and out-of-school youth interventions. 
2. Develop a multi-purpose New Year School Youth Village to house the annual 
 
event and also provide an all year-round training and other capacity building 
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interventions for the youth. Per the architectural design, the Village is proposed 
to have: 
● a tech-hub/incubator for young entrepreneurs 
 
● an exhibition unit 
 
● an auditorium 
 
● an office complex 
 
● a residential/hostel facility (to be used by on-campus students as well) 
 
● a commercial complex and 
 
● a recreational area. 
 
 
In recognition of your efforts, the University would be very happy to name the facilities 
after significant contributors, including members of the Corporate Advisory Team who I 
hope will exceedingly support this project. 
 
 
Management of the University under my leadership as Vice-Chancellor is poised to 
distinguish itself in knowledge generation and dissemination and we are very confident 
that with this caliber of personalities on the Team, the ANYSC will experience a 
magnificent transformation to the admiration of all stakeholders. 
 
Thank you for making time to be here and I wish you fruitful deliberations. 
 
 
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo 
Vice-Chancellor 
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