The Governing Council of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS) has confirmed the promotion of John Yaw Akparep from Associate Professor to full Professor in Organisational Conflicts Management.
The promotion, which took effect in December 2025, was confirmed at a Council meeting held in Wa on March 31, 2026.
Professor Akparep told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the academic milestone was a testament to his commitment to contributing to national development through research.
“Research is one of the ways of contributing to national development because research outputs inform policy decisions. In that regard, I am contributing my quota to development,” he said.
Prof Akparep began his academic career at the then Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in January 2011 as a Senior Research Assistant in the Department of Management Studies.
He was appointed Assistant Lecturer in 2013 and promoted to Lecturer in 2015, steadily rising through the academic ranks.
He has over 40 peer-reviewed publications to his credit and has supervised more than 50 graduate students.
His research interests span Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, with particular focus on conflict management, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development and agribusiness promotion.
A Chartered Economist, Prof Akparep holds a PhD in Social Administration, an MPhil in Development Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Development Studies, all from UDS. He also holds an International Diploma in Business, Economics and Commerce from Cambridge International College in the United Kingdom, as well as a Teacher’s Certificate ‘A’ from Offinso Teacher Training College.
He currently serves as Dean of the School of Business at UBIDS and represents Convocation on the University Council.
He was appointed Vice Dean of the school in 2022 and became its Dean in 2025.
Beyond the university, Prof Akparep is a Commissioner of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and a member of its Executive Committee, representing the Bono East Region.
He also serves as Convenor of the Governance and Public Sector Reform Committee.
An accomplished academic and practitioner, Prof Akparep serves on seven boards, including the Board of Directors of the Ghana Permaculture Institute, where he is the Chairperson.
He has held several administrative positions at the university, including Examinations Officer at both departmental and school levels, Industrial Attachment Coordinator, and founding Head of the Department of Health Service Management and Administration in 2021.
Prof Akparep has also worked as a Business Development Consultant, collaborating with organisations such as the BUSAC Fund, the Ghana Skills Development Fund and USAID-supported initiatives, including the Ghana Trade and Investment Activity and ADVANCE projects.
In recognition of his dedication to teaching and academic excellence, he has received several awards, including Best Lecturer at the Wa Campus of UDS for the 2017/2018 academic year and Best Lecturer of the UBIDS School of Business in 2021. He was also named Second Best National Students’ Lecturer of the Year in 2020 under the National Students Awards Scheme and received an Excellent Paper Award at an international conference in London in 2019.
Prof Akparep has extensive experience in student leadership, having served as President of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) from 2009 to 2011.
He also served as President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), represented students on the UDS Governing Council for two years, and held leadership roles as a school prefect at both basic and secondary school levels.
GNA
