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Professor Kwaku Azar criticizes former Education Minister's comments on 'useless' university degrees
via GhanaWeb2 min read
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, known as Kwaku Azar, has criticized former Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum's remarks labeling some university programs as 'useless.' In a Facebook post on July 5, 2026, Kwaku Azar argued that graduate unemployment is influenced by the country's economic performance, not solely the relevance of university programs. He stated that strengthening the economy would create more opportunities for graduates across all disciplines, noting that a weak economy can lead to unemployment even for professionals in specialized fields like engineering, law, and medicine. Kwaku Azar emphasized that universities should be accountable for program relevance and that many programs develop valuable transferable skills such as critical thinking, research, and communication. He cited Development Studies and BA in Education Non-Teaching graduates as examples of those contributing to various sectors beyond traditional paths. He called for universities to regularly review curricula, publish graduate employment outcomes, conduct labor-market forecasting, tie accreditation to measurable outcomes, and embed digital, analytical, and entrepreneurial skills across all programs. Kwaku Azar concluded that the focus should be on building an education system and an economy worthy of graduates, rather than questioning the usefulness of specific programs.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
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