The Secretary of the Private Universities Founders Association (PUFA), Professor Martin Gyamrah, has called for university charters to be made optional rather than imposed as a form of punishment, following discussions on the regulation of private tertiary institutions.

Professor Gyamrah said he was persuaded that chartering should not be used as a coercive tool against institutions, but rather as an aspirational milestone in the growth of universities.

According to him, while every tertiary institution aims to evolve into a fully-fledged university, making charters optional must be balanced with more rigorous accreditation processes to safeguard academic standards.

“If charters are made optional, then accreditation of academic programmes must be much stricter to ensure quality and value for money,” he cautioned, noting that students pay significant fees and therefore deserve high academic standards and credible qualifications.

Beyond tertiary education governance, Professor Gyamrah also used the platform to highlight developments regarding the Encyclopedia Africana project, an initiative originally conceived by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He disclosed that the African Union (AU) had formally adopted the project and approved the production of a fourth volume, which will focus on the contributions of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to scientific development.

Professor Gyamrah further revealed that he has been elected Chair of the Scientific Committee tasked with producing the fourth volume, with Ghana expected to play a leading role in the process.

He appealed to the Government of Ghana for support to ensure the successful completion of the project, describing it as a landmark intellectual and cultural undertaking that would bring significant honour and international recognition to the country.