GTEC cautions universities against compromising quality in doctoral admissions

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has cautioned universities against admitting more doctoral candidates than their institutional capacity can adequately support, warning that the practice could undermine the quality and credibility of doctoral education in the country.

The Commission said the expansion of doctoral programmes must be matched by adequate numbers of qualified supervisors, research infrastructure, library resources and funding to ensure effective supervision and quality research.

Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, the Director-General of GTEC, gave the warning on Saturday during the graduation ceremony of the African University of Communication and Business in Accra.

A total of 350 students graduated from the University, comprising 206 undergraduates and 144 postgraduate students.

The ceremony was on the theme “Transforming Higher Education for a Resilient Nation: Leveraging Technology for Sustainable Development.”

He said doctoral education was critical to producing the next generation of researchers, lecturers and policy thinkers, but institutions must not allow the quest to increase enrolment to compromise academic standards.

“Growth in numbers must never outpace capacity,” he stressed, adding that doctoral qualifications represented years of rigorous study, original research and examination and must not be treated as commercial products.

Prof. Jinapor urged all universities, particularly newly chartered institutions, to align doctoral admissions with their actual capacity, insisting that quality rather than quantity must define doctoral education in the country.

The Director-General said this against the backdrop of the institution’s attainment of chartered status, which he described as a significant milestone that brought greater academic autonomy and institutional responsibility.

Touching on the theme, he said universities must rethink their teaching, research and engagement with industry to prepare graduates for an increasingly technology-driven world.

He noted that artificial intelligence, automation, big data, digital platforms and cybersecurity were transforming professional and economic activities, making it imperative for higher education institutions to equip students with relevant skills.

Online, blended and distance learning, he said, offered opportunities to widen access to tertiary education, particularly for working people, persons in remote communities and persons with disabilities.

However, Prof. Jinapor warned that digital education must not become a shortcut to lower academic standards.

He said degrees obtained through online learning must carry the same value as those awarded through traditional campus-based programmes.

That, he explained, required accredited programmes, properly trained faculty, reliable digital platforms, credible assessment systems and adequate learner support.

He said GTEC would continue to ensure that quality assurance mechanisms kept pace with evolving modes of educational delivery.

The Professor urged the graduates to embrace lifelong learning and acquire the skills to work effectively with emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

He encouraged them to develop the ability to analyse data, distinguish credible information from misinformation and adapt to changes in their respective professions.

Prof. Jinapor cautioned them against allowing technology to replace independent thinking, integrity and sound judgment.

“Do not compete with technology. Learn to work intelligently with technology,” the representative advised.

He said the Commission had intensified public education on recognised institutions and accredited learning centres to protect prospective students from enrolling in unrecognised institutions.

He disclosed that GTEC published a notice in July 2026 concerning 15 unaccredited learning centres and institutions whose institutional accreditation had expired.

The Commission also published an updated list of 110 unrecognised institutions as of September 2026, urging the public to exercise due diligence before enrolling in tertiary programmes.

Ms Barbara Kafui Abram, the Overall Best Graduating Student, Faculty of Strategic Communication, encouraged the graduates to remain determined in the pursuit of their ambitions, stressing that previous academic disappointments should not define their future.

She said her personal journey from an earlier unsuccessful tertiary education experience to emerging as the institution’s overall best graduating student demonstrated the importance of perseverance, determination and the courage to start again.

“Never be ashamed of starting again. Starting again is not a failure. It is the courage to pursue a better ending,” she said.