By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Sept. 11, GNA –The ancient Ghanaian adage which says, “A person who seeks knowledge, always rises higher”, aptly captures the academic and professional journey of Professor Eliasu Alhassan, who has risen from modest beginnings in Tamale to become one of Ghana’s distinguished scholars in sociology and education.
Born on February 28, 1968, in Tamale, Prof. Alhassan began his education at Anbariya Islamic and English L/A Primary School before continuing at Ahmadiyya and Kalpohin Middle Schools.
His academic drive led him to the Northern School of Business in Tamale, where he obtained his GCE O’Level certificate in 1990. He then trained as a professional teacher at Bagabaga Training College between 1990 and 1993, during which he earned his Advanced Level certificate through private examinations.
After three years of teaching at the basic school level, he enrolled at the University of Ghana, Legon, graduating in the year 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. His career as an educator advanced when he taught Government and Social Studies at Vitting Technical Senior High School in Tamale before returning to Legon in 2003 for an MPhil in Sociology, which he completed in 2005.
In November 2006, Prof. Alhassan joined the University for Development Studies (UDS) as a Senior Research Assistant at the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies in Wa.
He became a Lecturer in April 2007, a Senior Lecturer in 2015, Associate Professor in 2020, and, through hard work and scholarly contributions, attained full professorship in September 2023.
At UDS, Prof. Alhassan played pioneering role in curriculum development, contributing to the design of several academic programmes, including the Diploma in Social Administration, BA in Sociology, BA in Social Work, and postgraduate programmes in Development Sociology, Human Development, and Social Administration.
His leadership within the university has been equally remarkable. He served as Head of the Department of Social, Political and Historical Studies from 2015 to 2020, Coordinating Dean for UDS staff and students at UBIDS from 2020 to 2022, and was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2023. Beyond administrative roles, he also coordinated the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP) in Mampong Municipality between 2009 and 2011.
A prolific academic, Prof. Alhassan has authored 41 journal articles and one book titled “Understanding the Elements of Social Research.” His research interests span education and educational policy, gender disparity, and deviant behavior, areas that dominate nearly 90 percent of his publications. His works have influenced discourse on gender and access to education, especially in northern Ghana.
In terms of mentorship, Prof. Alhassan has successfully supervised and graduated 32 Master of Arts students, 21 MPhil students, and nine PhD candidates. He is currently supervising two MPhil and four PhD students. His mentorship has produced graduates who now serve in academia, international institutions such as the UN and ECOWAS, and various public and private organizations in Ghana.
He has also served as both internal and external examiner for major universities in Ghana, including the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Education, Winneba, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, and SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies.
Prof. Alhassan’s reputation extends beyond the lecture halls. He has reviewed promotion documents, attended numerous conferences and workshops locally and abroad, and delivered guest lectures on critical issues such as sociology of education, gender disparity in enrolment, and the politics of educational policy.
On Friday, September 5, 2025, he delivered the 21st Professorial Inaugural Lecture in Tamale on the theme: “Sociology of Educational Policy: Politics and Power Dilemma,” further cementing his authority as a leading voice in educational sociology.
Married to Hajia Mohammed Sahala and Baba Humu Kulsum, Prof. Alhassan is a family man blessed with eight children—six girls and two boys.
Indeed, his life and achievements are a living example that through knowledge and perseverance, one can rise high, and in the process, lift many others along the way.
GNA