Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Museum and Heritage Studies from the University of Ghana, adding a significant academic achievement to his distinguished career in public service.
Dr. Debrah received the doctorate during the University of Ghana School of Graduate Studies congregation held at the Great Hall on Saturday, July 25, 2026. President John Dramani Mahama attended the ceremony as the special guest for the graduation of PhD candidates.
Congratulating his Chief of Staff, President Mahama commended Dr. Debrah for successfully completing the rigorous doctoral programme while serving in one of the country’s highest public offices.
“I’m especially delighted to see my Chief of Staff among today’s graduating class, and I congratulate him together with every member of this distinguished cohort,” the President said.
The President also shared insights into Dr. Debrah’s academic journey, recalling how, during the 2024 election campaign, his Chief of Staff would occasionally excuse himself from campaign activities to meet his academic supervisor or conduct field research.
“We used to be on the campaign trail together, and he would run away and leave us and say, ‘Oh, I have to meet my supervisor,'” President Mahama recounted.
He further narrated a humorous incident from one of Dr. Debrah’s archaeological field trips in Nakpanduri in the Northern Region, where local chiefs and residents mistakenly believed the research team was engaged in illegal mining activities.
“They were digging somewhere in Nakpanduri, and suddenly the chiefs and the villagers came out and confronted them. They thought they were doing galamsey,” the President said, drawing laughter from the audience.
President Mahama described Dr. Debrah’s accomplishment as a testament to dedication, perseverance, and the importance of lifelong learning, emphasizing that academic excellence and public service can complement each other.
“His achievement is a powerful reminder that learning is a lifelong pursuit and that public service and academic excellence are not mutually exclusive. They are indeed mutually reinforcing,” he stated.
In a light-hearted moment, the President joked that Dr. Debrah’s new academic credentials would likely make future discussions more intellectually demanding.
“I suspect he may now begin reminding me that every argument requires stronger evidence and that every quotation deserves a proper citation. I shall therefore have to be very much more careful in future,” he remarked.
President Mahama also admitted that witnessing the graduation briefly inspired him to consider pursuing a PhD himself before recalling the demands of doctoral studies.
“Looking around this distinguished gathering, I briefly entertained the thought of returning to pursue my own PhD. But memories of supervisors, endless revisions and the viva voce examinations quickly brought me back to reality,” he said.
Before his appointment as Chief of Staff, Dr. Debrah served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development from 2014 to 2015. He also held the positions of Eastern Regional Minister and Greater Accra Regional Minister between 2013 and 2014.
His latest academic achievement further underscores a public service career that has spanned local governance, regional administration, and the Presidency, while highlighting the growing emphasis on lifelong learning among Ghana’s public officials.
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