The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) has inducted Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, a plant virologist as the University's third Vice-Chancellor (VC) at an investiture ceremony in Sunyani.

He succeeds Prof. Harrison Kwame Dapaah, the second VC whose tenure of office spanned August 2016-August 2020.

Later in an address, Prof. Asare-Bediako said the title and theme for the investiture, "Transforming UENR into a world-class institution of excellence for sustainable energy and natural resources management" was driven by his vision for the institution.

Thus, "to transform the University as an institution that is strongly positioned nationally and internationally by focusing on the Entrepreneurial and Information and Technology in Teaching, Learning, Research, and Management", he said.

Prof Asare-Bediako indicated a number of areas underpinning the implementation and achievement of his vision for the University, which were; increase in income generation and enhancement of efficient and prudent management of resources to achieve financial sustainability and improvement and expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) facilities for teaching, learning, research, and administrative functions.

Others were increase research capacity for enhanced visibility and internationalisation and increase in the number and improvement of the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

The rest were the development of a comprehensive human resource policy and strengthening university relation office to improve performance and visibility and the establishment of UENR green infrastructure development agenda and proper acquisition of the University lands.

Prof. Asare-Bediako until his new appointment was a Professor of Plant Virology at the Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, University of Cape Coast (UCC).

He has taught courses such as Plant Virology, Plant-Virus Integrations, Pest Management, Food Microbiology and Immunology, Agricultural Microbiology, Fundamentals of Plant Protection, and Integrated Pest Management since 2004.

His areas of specialisation are virus diseases of horticultural, vegetable and food crops, with special interests in virus characterisation, diagnostics, plant-virus-vector interactions, and development of integrated crop improvement strategies.

Prof. Asare-Bediako has conducted extensive research in virus disease epidemics in key food security crops and vegetables and has also authored and co-authored about 50 publications covering various aspects of plant virology and plant protection in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters.

He has supervised and trained about 10 Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and five Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students in various areas of Plant Virology and Protection.

Prof. Asare-Bediako is a member of the Ghana Science Association (GSA), University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Plant Protection Association of Ghana (PPAG), and the American Phytopathological Society (APS).

He was also a member of the British Society of Plant Pathologists (BSPP) from 2008 to 2014, and the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB) from 2008 to 2012.

After his basic education at Poano Methodist and Bekwai Anglican Primary Schools, Prof Asare-Bediako proceeded to Bekwai Experimental Junior High School and subsequently obtained the Ordinary and Advanced Levels Certificates at the Seventh-Day Adventist Senior High School, Bekwai-Ashanti.

Prof Asare-Bediako holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in General Agriculture and Diploma in Education (1997) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Crop Science (Plant Pathology) in 2003, all from UCC.

He, however, attained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Plant Environmental Sciences from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, with specialisation in Plant Virology in 2012.

He is married to Mrs Edith Asare-Bediako, and they are blessed with four children.