Accounting Department Welcomes A New Head

The Accounting Department of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) recently appointed and welcomed Professor William Coffie as their new Head of Department. His appointment took effect from the 1st of August 2021.

Professor William Coffie holds a PhD in Financial Economics and a Master’s Degree in Finance from Birmingham City University, United Kingdom. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy, Postgraduate Certificate & Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, and a Certificate in Business & Industrial Administration. Professor Coffie is a recognised Chartered Accountant by ACCA UK, Chartered Marketer by CIM UK, Chartered Investment & Securities Analyst by CISI UK, Chartered Manager by CMI UK, and a Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants, UK.

In an interview with the new head of the Accounting Department, he disclosed that he intends to make impact in areas such as technology, student relationships (both undergraduates and postgraduates), faculty, and alumni. Professor Coffie plans to expand the faculty capacity in the Accounting Department due to the current teaching load. In addition, he aims to help keep lecturers abreast with the new technologies for teaching and learning as a result of the takeover of technology in the Accounting field.

Professor Coffie plans to bridge the gap between what is taught in schools and what industry requires. He hopes to achieve this by intensifying the investments in industry experts who will give students the practical side of what is taught in the lecture room. “Experts from outside the Department will also be brought in to assist students in developing their soft skills such as communication, writing, and interpersonal skills to make them more attractive to employers”, he added. He hopes that every student who graduates from the Accounting Department within the next 3 to 4 years will be conversant with at least one accounting and finance software. With the help of his colleagues, Professor Coffie aims to develop new programmes that will bring revenue to the Business School and the University as a whole and also increase the output and quality of research. His goal is to ensure a strengthened alumni relationship through partnerships that will support the Department in various capacities. Professor Coffie would like postgraduates to watch out for more support in terms of research training and thesis assessment. For undergraduates, they should expect an improvement in Accounting technologies.

His advice to students is that they must work and learn hard, take advantage of the facilities available to them and also exhibit to the corporate world what the Department of Accounting and the Business School stands for.

The University of Ghana Business School wishes Professor William Coffie the best in his tenure of office and hopes that all his initiatives will get to see the light of the day.