UG’s youngest trailblazer: Eric Dominic Forson becomes Associate Professor at 34

Professor Eric Dominic Forson has been elevated to the rank of Associate Professor at the University of Ghana at just 34 years old, marking a signific

Professor Eric Dominic Forson has been elevated to the rank of Associate Professor at the University of Ghana at just 34 years old, marking a significant academic milestone under the institution’s newly adopted 2024 Statutes.

Now designated Associate Professor of Geophysics and Geodata Analytics, Prof. Forson is among nearly 20 senior academics promoted through reforms introduced to modernise the University’s governance and appointments process.

The promotions were carried out in accordance with Section 86(1a) of the University of Ghana Statutes (2024), which authorises the University Council to delegate the power to appoint Associate Professors and equivalent officers to the Appointments Board.

This provision applies to applications submitted from August 1, 2024, when the new statutes took effect, while earlier applications remain under the Council’s direct consideration.

Exercising this mandate, the Appointments Board, at its meeting on February 3, 2026, approved a list of qualified candidates for promotion on behalf of the Council, with the decisions taking immediate effect.

Prof. Forson’s promotion places him among the youngest academics in Ghana to attain professorial rank. He is also currently the only academic in the country at this level with a combined specialisation in geophysics and geodata analytics, a field increasingly seen as critical to national development.

His area of expertise has drawn particular attention as Ghana intensifies efforts to combat illegal mining and its environmental damage. Through subsurface imaging, spatial data analysis and advanced modelling, geophysics and geodata analytics provide powerful, data-driven tools for detecting, monitoring and managing mining activities more effectively.

University officials say the latest round of promotions underscores the institution’s commitment to academic excellence while strategically strengthening disciplines that align with Ghana’s environmental governance and development priorities.