In a moving ceremony that blended history, gratitude, and institutional pride, the Global Alumni of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), on Thursday, 4th December 2025, presented a Customized Anniversary Lacoste and a Special Citation to Professor Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor and one of Ghana’s iconic education reformers. The symbolic event at UPSA’s East Legon campus honored the recent conferment of an Honorary Doctorate Degree on Prof. Alabi and celebrated his lasting impact on one of Ghana’s fastest-growing higher education institutions.
For many alumni, the moment was deeply personal. Prof. Alabi was not only a national figure but a mentor whose impact spanned generations. To some, he was a lecturer; to others, a visionary administrator; and to many more, the embodiment of UPSA’s transformation.
In 1987, long before he became the first alumnus to serve as Vice Chancellor, a young and energetic Joshua Alabi stood before students teaching Economics, firm yet inspiring, analytical yet approachable. One of those students was Francis Kodjo Dadzie, now President of the UPSA Global Alumni, who led this honor on behalf of thousands who passed through the institution’s classrooms and corridors.
“It is only right,” he noted, “that the institution he helped build now celebrates him with reverence.”
Professor Alabi’s story is inseparable from UPSA’s story. He first entered the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) in 1977 as a Professional Accounting student, a decision that would begin a lifelong relationship with the school. On 1 November 1987, he returned to his alma mater as a lecturer. Over the decades that followed, he climbed through academic and administrative ranks with a blend of discipline, clarity of thought, and unwavering loyalty to the institution.
His leadership trajectory is well documented:
Course Head for Marketing (1990)
Head of Management Consultancy Unit (1993)
Senior Lecturer in Economics and International Marketing (2000)
Head of the Marketing Department (2002)
Head of the Management Division (2003)
Associate Professor (2007)
Acting Rector (2008)
Rector (2009–2012)
Vice Chancellor (2013–2016)
Throughout these years, he championed the transition of IPS into a full-fledged public university. His vision birthed what many education experts now describe as one of the most successful institutional transformations in Ghana’s tertiary history. One of his most remarkable legacies was the restructuring of Institute Programs (IPS) into modern academic pathways that fed into UPSA’s current Schools and Faculties. This shift not only broadened the institution’s academic offerings but also attracted international recognition for UPSA’s model of fusing professional certification with academic degrees. His mentorship shaped many of UPSA’s current leaders, several of whom credit him with instilling the courage to modernize the curriculum, expand research, and deepen student engagement.
Long before occupying high office, Alabi demonstrated unmistakable leadership. As a student in the Soviet Union, he served as President of NUGS Russia (1984) and President of NUGS Europe (1985), becoming a continental voice for Ghanaian students abroad. Friends recall that even then, he carried an air of purposeful discipline, qualities that would later define his leadership at UPSA.
The two items presented were not mere souvenirs. They represented gratitude, identity, and history. The Customized Anniversary Lacoste, stitched in UPSA’s colours and bearing his name, symbolized his lifelong bond with the institution, one that began as a student, matured as a lecturer, and peaked as Vice Chancellor. The Citation, drawn from UPSA’s archival and alumni memory, captured the breadth of his service and the depth of his impact:
“…for his enduring service, principled leadership, and lasting contribution to higher education and national development in Ghana…” For many alumni observing the moment, it was a reminder that institutions do not grow by accident; they grow because specific individuals choose to carry them forward.
Today, UPSA stands prominently among Ghana’s tertiary institutions, with global accreditations, modern infrastructure, and rapidly expanding professional programs. Many of these milestones are traceable to the foundations laid during Prof. Alabi’s tenure. His honorary doctorate, awarded in recognition of decades of leadership, is therefore not only deserved but historic, especially for an alumnus who returned home to build the house that once sheltered him.
Speaking after receiving the honour, Prof. Alabi expressed appreciation and reflected on the journey:
“I have always believed that leadership is about building people. If our students excel, UPSA excels. If our staff are empowered, Ghana’s tertiary sector grows.”
His words resonated with the very spirit of the day, a celebration not only of titles earned but of lives touched, systems reformed, and futures shaped.
The ceremony was more than an alumni gesture; it was a national story, a story of how one man’s vision helped transform a modest professional institute into a modern university, shaping leaders across Ghana and beyond.
As UPSA continues its upward rise, the legacy of Professor Joshua Alabi remains inscribed not only in citations and commemorative shirts but also in the lives of the thousands who passed through his classrooms, walked through the doors he opened, and led institutions shaped by his vision.
A fitting tribute, not just to a former Vice Chancellor, but to a builder of minds, institutions, and generations.
