Prof. Wisdom Tettey, an alumnus of the University of Ghana, has been officially installed as the 17th President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University, Canada.
According to Carleton University’s official website, the ceremony took place on Monday, June 16, marking a significant moment not only for Carleton but also for Ghana’s academic community.
Prior to joining Carleton on January 1, Prof. Tettey served as Vice-President and Principal of the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus since 2018. His academic journey, however, began in Ghana, where he studied at the University of Ghana’s School of Communication Studies, now Department of Communication Studies.
Prof. Tettey’s installation is reported to have coincided with the opening day of Carleton’s convocation week, where more than 5,400 students are set to graduate. On the same day, nearly 500 graduate students walked the stage to receive their degrees, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
“I am grateful to the Carleton and Ottawa community for entrusting me with this role in such an important institution in this city, and for welcoming me into your fold, helping me learn and guiding me as we pursue our shared mission together,” said Prof. Tettey in his opening remarks.
“I am confident that, together, we will elevate our sights, enable Carleton’s unstoppable momentum and transform our world for the good of all.”
He outlined an ambitious and collaborative vision to position Carleton for global impact, saying: “The spirit of purposive higher education and community advancement is indelibly imprinted in Carleton’s motto — ‘Ours the Task Eternal’.”
“This motto should continue to motivate and guide us to higher laurels and behooves us to be a catalyst for inclusive impact, not as an end in itself but as an expression of the scope and scale of what our mission necessitates and our purpose demands.”
“Meeting our obligation in this regard requires the regenerative power of a vision that we develop together, embrace, nurture and co-own as we move inexorably towards global prominence by our centennial year in 2042.”
With a rousing call to action, he encouraged the university community to harness education’s power for positive change. According to him, “We should deploy the solemn privilege of purposive education, scholarship, service and leadership for transformational good.”
“Let us be inspired by the promise of possibilities that our forebears diligently and tirelessly cultivated; galvanized by common purpose; and energized by the spirit of mutuality,” he added.
Prof. Tettey concluded by stressing the importance of remaining steadfast in the pursuit of equity, inclusion, and belonging—values he has championed throughout his career.
“It is particularly imperative, now more than ever, that we stand together resolutely for fundamental values of equity, inclusion and belonging,” he said, adding, “and not jettison them because of the pressures of challenging circumstances or the discomfort of the powerful or those who want to remain exclusive beneficiaries of the status quo.”
The event attracted a diverse audience of academic and community leaders from across Canada, including former Carleton presidents, visiting university officials, international dignitaries, faculty, staff, and members of the university’s Board of Governors and Senate.
It was characterised by a lively performance by Carleton’s West African Rhythm Ensemble, directed by Music and African Studies professor Kathy Armstrong, with support from Stacey Can-Tamakloe. The ensemble presented Atsiagbekor and Gahu-Kinka—traditional rhythms from Ghana’s Anlo-Ewe region, which is the ancestral home of President Tettey.
Guest performer Kwashie Kuwor joined the ensemble and later led a traditional libation ceremony in both Ewe and English, featuring a celestial song, an invocation of the ancestors, and a message in honour of the occasion.
Watch Prof. Wisdom Tettey’s installation address below.
