The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has made history with the swearing-in of PhD candidate Samuel Sasu Adonteng as President of the Graduate Students' Association of Ghana (GRASAG), UPSA Branch, making him the first doctoral student to lead the association.

The inauguration and handing-over ceremony took place on Friday, July 17, 2026, at the LBC Auditorium, marking the formal transition of leadership following the recently concluded GRASAG-UPSA elections.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Emmanuel Selase Asamoah urged the new leadership to serve with integrity, maturity and a strong commitment to the welfare, academic growth and professional development of postgraduate students.

He emphasised the critical role graduate student leadership plays in advancing the university's academic and institutional objectives.

The ceremony also featured remarks from Vice Dean of Students Prof. Anthony Kumasey, Vice Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Dr Andrews Ayiku, and National President of GRASAG, Richard Class-Peters.

The speakers commended the outgoing executives for their service and encouraged the newly elected council to uphold accountability, teamwork, responsiveness and servant leadership.

In his inaugural address, Mr Adonteng said his election was not a personal achievement but an opportunity to serve the diverse postgraduate student population, including MBA, MA/MSc, MPhil, LLM and PhD students, as well as regular, evening, weekend and distance learners.

He stressed the need to strengthen the link between graduate education and national development through research, innovation, entrepreneurship and practical problem-solving.

"Postgraduate students represent an important pool of talent whose research, professional experience and technical knowledge must be intentionally harnessed to address real challenges in business, governance, public policy, technology, entrepreneurship and social development," he said.

Mr Adonteng announced that the new executive council would be guided by the theme, "Advancing Research and Innovation through Graduate Studies: Building a Resilient Community and Future Experts for National Development."

According to him, the theme reflects the association's commitment to repositioning graduate education as a platform for knowledge creation, professional excellence and national impact.

He also called on corporate organisations, alumni, public institutions, development partners and civil society organisations to collaborate with GRASAG-UPSA to support graduate research, innovation, employability, entrepreneurship and student welfare.

Mr Adonteng noted that GRASAG-UPSA represents more than 2,000 postgraduate students, many of whom are professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers and public servants capable of contributing significantly to Ghana's development.

He pledged to lead with humility, fairness, discipline and accountability while strengthening communication with students, promoting academic excellence, expanding employability opportunities and fostering a stronger postgraduate community.

The newly inaugurated executive council for the 2026/2027 academic year comprises Samuel Sasu Adonteng as President, Michael Duncan Manyah as Vice President, Nana Aba Afomoaba Ennuson as Secretary, Norbert Okyere Boansi as Finance Officer, Samantha Abdallah as Women's Commissioner, and Kelvin Nii Adotey Saka as Organising Secretary.