Prof. Ofori-Birikorang Pushes for Mentorship and Curriculum Renewal at SCMS Retreat
Prof. Andy Ofori-Birikorang, an accomplished communications scholar, has called for deliberate mentorship and curriculum renewal to drive sustained academic growth.
He made the call at a three-day in-house faculty retreat held from Wednesday, 17th to Friday, 19th December, 2025, by the School of Communication and Media Studies (SCMS) at the University of Education, Winneba.
Prof. Ofori-Birikorang emphasised that mentorship within academic institutions must be approached as a structured and intentional responsibility rather than an incidental or informal activity. He explained that effective mentoring transcends routine supervision and should consciously prepare emerging scholars and students for leadership, intellectual continuity and long-term institutional relevance.
According to him, succession planning within academic units is critical to sustaining research focus, intellectual traditions and institutional memory, particularly in universities where generational transitions are inevitable. He noted that without deliberate mentorship frameworks, departments risk losing accumulated scholarly capital and strategic direction over time.
Prof. Ofori-Birikorang further explained that mentoring emerging scholars requires experienced academics to intentionally transfer knowledge, professional values and research culture while simultaneously allowing mentees the intellectual freedom to innovate and redefine disciplinary boundaries. He stressed that mentorship should be reciprocal, noting that senior scholars also stand to learn from younger academics whose perspectives are often shaped by digital technologies, interdisciplinary thinking and evolving social realities.
He argued that maintaining this balance between guidance and openness is essential to preventing stagnation and ensuring continuous relevance within academic departments, particularly in a rapidly transforming communication environment.
Touching on the theme of school rebranding, Prof. Ofori-Birikorang clarified that rebranding should not be misconstrued as merely changing a school’s name, logo or public image. Rather, he described it as a deeper and more critical process of redefining academic identity, relevance, and impact.
He intimated that meaningful rebranding requires institutions to consistently interrogate what they teach, how they teach it and why that knowledge matters within both local and global contexts. He stressed that institutional reputation is built through quality scholarship, societal responsiveness, relevance of programmes and the ability to anticipate future academic and professional demands.
As part of the rebranding conversation, Prof. Ofori-Birikorang stressed the urgent need to redesign course content in communication studies to reflect contemporary realities. He observed that rapid changes in media ecosystems, digital platforms, audience behaviour and professional practice demand continuous curriculum renewal.
He cautioned faculty members against excessive reliance on outdated theories or approaches that no longer adequately reflect how communication functions in modern societies. He encouraged the integration of local case studies, global trends, emerging research and evolving professional practices into teaching and learning processes.
Prof. Ofori-Birikorang was, however, quick to clarify that curriculum redesign does not imply abandoning foundational theories. Rather, he urged instructors to contextualise these theories within present-day realities by consciously bridging theory and practice. He advocated the use of experiential learning, research-informed teaching and industry perspectives to equip students with critical thinking skills, adaptability and professional confidence.
He stressed that mentorship, curriculum renewal and school rebranding are interconnected processes that collectively shape the future of academic units. He encouraged faculty members to view these responsibilities as part of their broader academic duty to nurture talent, sustain institutional excellence and ensure that communication education remains relevant, competitive and transformative in an ever-changing global environment.
The SCMS faculty retreat provided a platform for deep reflection, scholarly engagement and collective dialogue among faculty members, reinforcing the School’s commitment to academic innovation, leadership development and strategic growth in line with the mission of the UEW.
