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PROF. ERIC NYARKO-SAMPSON (PhD)

Professor of Guidance and Counselling began his education at Apowa Methodist School, then to Abakrampa Methodist Primary School, Boa Amponsem Primary and Middle Schools, Dunkwa-on-Offin, and finally Aboom A. M. E. Zion Middle School, Cape Coast.

He attended University Practice Secondary School, Cape Coast, for his Ordinary Level education, continued to Komenda College (now Komenda College of Education) where he had his initial teacher training education, and wrote the GCE Advanced Level examinations as a private candidate. Eric holds a Bachelor of Education (Psychology), Master of Philosophy (Guidance & Counselling), and Master of Arts (Human Resource Management), from the University of Cape Coast. He also has a Final Professional Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Administrators & Management Consultants, Ghana, and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Guidance and Counselling, from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.

He was the Foundation Dean, Faculty of Educational Foundations, College of Education Studies, University of Cape Coast, having served in various capacities in the university including Foundation Head, Department of Guidance and Counselling before then. He taught courses and serves as facilitator at national and international workshops in counselling, human resource management and organisational behaviour and change. His research interests include career counselling, school counselling, teacher education, issues in multiculturalism, and entrepreneurial education. Eric’s major research focuses on school counselling, and the implementation and evaluation of counselling services at all levels in Ghana’s educational institutions. His studies also investigate entrepreneurship as an alternative to building careers among the teeming youth, and thereby tackling the age-old issue of youth unemployment. He is a member of teams researching on issues in teacher education. He has supervised and turned out a host of postgraduate students at the MPhil and PhD levels, and published widely in locally, nationally and internationally refereed journals.

As Chairman of Ghana’s National Teaching Council, Eric leads the agency of the Ministry of Education in major reforms nationwide in the teaching profession to uphold the standards of teaching by the provision of a quality assurance process to support the delivery of education in pre-tertiary institutions in a professional and competent manner by licensed teachers who have graduated from a recognized teacher training programme. He led the National Teaching Council to organize the first ever teacher licensing examinations, Ghana Techer Licensure Examination (GTLE), in Ghana, as part of the process of teacher professionalization.

He was Chairman, Board of Governors, Oguaa Sec/Tech, Cape Coast, and Member, National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) Now Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC)).

He has served on various committees within the education ministry, and in the University of Cape Coast. These include;

  • Chairman, Committee on strategy for placement of products of Government’s Free Senior High   School Policy, National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE).
  • Chairman, Committee to advise the Hon. Minister of State for Tertiary Education on Distance Education in Ghana.
  • Chairman, Committee to consider offer of land with structures for the establishment of a College of Education at Ezinlibo, Jomoro District, Western Region.
  • UCC Representative on Pentecost University College Council.
  • UCC Representative on Governing Council, OLA College of Education, Cape Coast
  • National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) Representative, Methodist University College, Ghana (MUCG) Governing Council.
  • Member, Education and Programme Accreditation & CPDs Committee, Ghana Psychology Council.
  • Member, Central Regional Media Advisory Committee, (CRMAC).
  • Member, Planning & Resources Committee, University of Cape Coast.
  • Member, Academic Board, University of Cape Coast, August.
  • Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Educational Development & Practice (JED-P), Institute of Education, University of Cape Coast.
  • Senior Hall Tutor, Atlantic Hall, University of Cape Coast. 1st August 2014 –31st July 2016.
  • Hall Tutor, Atlantic Hall, University of Cape Coast. January 2014 – July 2014.
  • Patron, Atlantic Hall Naval Cadet Corps, UCC.

He currently serves as:

  • Editor-In-Chief, The Oguaa Educator, Journal of College of Education Studies, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast.
  • Consulting Editor, Institute Journal of Studies in Education, Institute of Education, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
  • National Vice President, UCC Alumni Association.
  • Patron, Methodist Guild, Wesley Cathedral, Cape Coast
  • Patron, Sunday School, Wesley Cathedral, Cape Coast.
  • Patron, Methodist Guild, Rev. Gaddiel Acquaah Mem. Methodist Church, Abakrampa
  • Patron, Methodist Choir, Rev. Gaddiel Acquaah Mem. Methodist Church, Abakrampa

He is a licensed and a certified counsellor. A Local Preacher of the Methodist Church Ghana, Eric is a member of professional bodies such as University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Ghana Psychology Association (GPA), Institute of Public Relations (IPR)-Ghana, America Psychological Association (APA), Alabama Counselling Association (ALCA), and International Society for the Study of Behaviour (ISSBD). He is married to Margaret, a Deputy Director of Nursing Services.

He was appointed Vice Chancellor on 1st June 2020, by the Governing Council of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development.