The inauguration of the Prof. Alan S. Duthie Graduate Wing in the Department of Linguistics, School of Languages, took place on Wednesday, 10th December, 2014. The provision of the Graduate Wing, a refurbished section of the first floor of the De Graft Hanson Building, is part of the Department’s strategic plan to be at the forefront of the University’s drive to transform from a teaching university into a research one. The wing has two reading rooms that are well-equipped with work spaces, sufficient to cater for the needs of all regular graduate students enrolled in the department; one for doctoral students, another for masters students. The refurbishment of the PhD room was funded with a grant from the UG-Carnegie Next Generation of African Academics Project, while the refurbishment of the Masters Room was accomplished with proceeds from the Department’s internally generated funds.
Prof. Alan Stewart Duthie, who passed away in July, 2013, is being honoured for his meritorious role as teacher and mentor during a career at the Department which spanned 49 years. He was the first lecturer to be appointed directly to the Department when it was established in 1964. He was instrumental in setting up graduate studies in the department, mentoring almost all younger lecturers who joined the department.
Those who spoke at the ceremony were the Head of Department, Dr. Evershed Amuzu, Dean of the School of Languages, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo and Provost of the College of Humanities, Prof. Samuel Agyei-Mensah. Other speakers were Prof. Florence Dolphyne, former Pro-VC, who worked with Prof. Duthie for almost all of the 49 years of dedicated service to the department; Prof. Kweku Osam, former Pro-VC and member of staff; Emerita Prof. Mary Esther Dakubu, and Mrs. Matilda Duthie, widow of the late Prof. Duthie. The tape cutting was done jointly by Prof. Dolphyne and Mrs. Duthie. Also in attendance were Prof. Kofi Agyekum, Acting Dean of the School of Performing Arts and a member of staff of the Department of Linguistics, heads of cognate departments - Prof. HelenYitah (English) and Dr. Robert Yennah (French), as well as the staff and graduate students of the department.
