The appointment was confirmed during the university’s 292nd Special Governing Council meeting held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Professor Agyare is expected to officially assume office on August 1, 2026, becoming the 13th Vice-Chancellor in the institution’s history since its establishment in 1951.
He succeeds Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, whose four-year tenure comes to an end on July 31, 2026.
Professor Agyare takes over leadership of the Kumasi-based university after more than two decades of service in teaching, research and university administration. Over the years, he has emerged as one of the institution’s most influential academic figures, particularly within the fields of pharmaceutical science, health research and institutional governance.
Currently serving as Provost of KNUST’s College of Health Sciences, Professor Agyare has been widely credited for championing academic expansion, research development and administrative reforms within the university system.
A Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, his research portfolio has earned international recognition in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, ethnopharmacology, wound healing and anticancer drug discovery — fields that continue to attract global scientific attention due to growing healthcare challenges.
His academic publications, numbering over 200 peer-reviewed studies, have generated thousands of citations in leading international journals, reflecting his influence within the global scientific and pharmaceutical research community.
Professor Agyare’s academic journey began at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he obtained both undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy degrees before advancing to doctoral studies at University of Münster in Germany.
He later expanded his international research exposure through postdoctoral and professional engagements in the United States, including collaborations with Novartis and research activities at University of California, San Francisco.
Throughout his academic career, Professor Agyare has successfully attracted more than $11 million in international research grants and institutional support from organisations including the German Research Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, the Mastercard Foundation and the World Bank.
Those partnerships have helped strengthen KNUST’s scientific research infrastructure, expand laboratory capacity and deepen international academic collaborations.
Within KNUST, he has also played a central role in strategic institutional reforms. Between 2016 and 2020, while serving as head of the university’s Quality Assurance and Planning Unit, he supervised the introduction of several digital governance systems aimed at improving transparency, staff evaluation and academic administration.
One of the most notable initiatives during that period was the rollout of a multipurpose smart identification card system for students and staff. The card integrated biometric verification, financial transactions and access control technologies — part of broader efforts to modernize university operations.
As Provost of the College of Health Sciences since 2020, Professor Agyare has overseen increased student enrolment, the introduction of new academic programmes and major infrastructure projects across the college’s departments and teaching facilities.
Beyond Ghana, he has contributed to higher education quality assurance initiatives across Africa and has served as an international quality assurance expert for the Namibia Council for Higher Education.
Professor Agyare is also known for advocating mentorship, inclusivity and gender participation in science and academia. He is a Fellow of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Foundation and has consistently supported initiatives aimed at increasing opportunities for women pursuing careers in scientific research and higher education.
An alumnus of Prempeh College, Professor Agyare remains an active pharmacist and member of the Methodist Church. He is married to Dr Charlotte Sena Agyare, and together they have three children.
His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as the university seeks to strengthen its global academic reputation through innovation, entrepreneurship, digital transformation and expanded international partnerships.