15 October, 2020
Ghana: Concerns about the destructive impacts of the proposed Public University Bill 2020

Together with Scholar at Risk and the African Studies Association, we issued a letter to Ghanaian officials, urging them to direct the appropriate authorities to withdraw or otherwise reconsider the Public University Bill 2020 in order to ensure full respect for academic freedom and institutional autonomy, as recognized in the Ghanaian constitution and applicable domestic and international law.

Your Excellency:

We write on behalf of Scholars at Risk (SAR), AfricanDefenders, and the African Studies Association—organizations working in Ghana and around the globe to promote academic freedom, quality higher education, and related human rights—to share our grave concerns about the destructive impacts of the proposed Public University Bill 2020 (the Bill) on the autonomy, quality and reputation of Ghanaian higher education. We respectfully urge you to direct your office to withdraw or otherwise reconsider the Bill in order to ensure full respect for academic freedom and institutional autonomy, as recognized in the Ghanaian constitution and applicable domestic and international law. The concerned actors include SAR network members and partner institutions around the world, including individuals within Ghana. Together we have a long and mutually beneficial history of working with Ghana’s higher education and research sector, which we value greatly. We know and value the fact that Ghana has invested considerable resources into the development of this sector, and that this investment is beneficial to the future prosperity of the nation and society. We also know that this investment has fostered a positive international reputation for Ghanaian higher education. This has resulted in increased cooperation, exchanges and partnerships, which in turn has helped to improve the quality and productivity of Ghanaian higher education and research.