Richard Acquaye is a distinguished Ghanaian academic, researcher, industrial art scholar, and higher education administrator with more than two decades of progressive experience in tertiary education, research leadership, curriculum development, and institutional governance. He is currently one of the government nominees on the University of Mines and Technology Council and a member of the Standing and Finance Committee of the same Council.

Currently serving as Professor of Textile Design and Technology at Takoradi Technical University and Director of the International Programmes and External Linkages Office, Prof. Acquaye has built an impressive career defined by academic excellence, visionary leadership, international collaboration, and commitment to innovation-driven education. His professional journey demonstrates a rare combination of scholarly depth, administrative competence, industry engagement, and cultural advocacy.

He is widely recognised for his exceptional contributions to textile design and technology, sustainable fashion research, indigenous African textile studies, and the advancement of technical and vocational education in Ghana and beyond.

Prof. Acquaye earned his PhD in Design from the University of Southampton in 2018, following earlier qualifications in Art Education and Textile Design from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. His doctoral and postdoctoral work has focused extensively on indigenous West African textiles, cultural identity, sustainability, textile innovation, and contemporary applications of African design traditions within global creative industries.

Throughout his career at Takoradi Technical University, he has held several strategic academic and administrative positions, including Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Arts and Technology, Head of the Department of Textile Design and Technology, and a member of numerous university boards and policy committees. In these capacities, he has contributed significantly to institutional development, academic planning, quality assurance, internationalisation, research governance, and curriculum innovation.

As an accomplished scholar, Prof. Acquaye has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and academic textbooks covering areas such as sustainable fashion, textile innovation, indigenous African textiles, fashion technology, textile waste management, e-textiles, textile sustainability, and cultural semiotics. His research has been published in internationally recognised journals and presented at major academic conferences across the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Belgium, Portugal, Hong Kong, Egypt, South Africa, and Ghana.

His scholarly influence extends beyond teaching and research into editorial and professional leadership. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Fashion and Textile Review and sits on the editorial boards and reviewer panels of several international journals in textile science, design, and arts research. He is also actively involved in national academic quality assurance systems as an external examiner, accreditation assessor, and curriculum development expert for multiple universities and educational bodies in Ghana.

Prof. Acquaye has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting technical and vocational education, particularly through curriculum development for competency-based training programmes in textiles and applied arts. He has played a central role in developing new academic programmes at Takoradi Technical University and has contributed extensively to national skills development initiatives through the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET).

His commitment to student mentorship and academic capacity building is evident in his extensive supervision and examination of doctoral and master’s research in textile design, sustainability, fashion innovation, cultural studies, and design technology. Many of his supervisees have completed impactful research projects addressing contemporary challenges in Africa’s textile and fashion industries.

In addition to academia, Prof. Acquaye has secured major educational grants and institutional support initiatives, including substantial funding from the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Project to provide tuition support and entrepreneurial start-up packages for female students. These achievements underscore his dedication to educational access, gender empowerment, and socio-economic transformation through higher education.

Internationally, he is respected for advancing discourse on African textile heritage, decolonisation of design education, cultural ownership, and sustainability in contemporary fashion practice. His exhibitions and creative projects have showcased innovative interpretations of African textile traditions and material culture, further strengthening his reputation as both a scholar and creative practitioner.

Prof. Acquaye is a Fellow and Chartered Member of The Textile Institute and maintains active membership in several prestigious professional bodies, including the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colourists, the Society of Dyers and Colourists, the Arts Council of the African Studies Association, and the West African Research Association.

Known for his intellectual rigour, strategic vision, collaborative leadership style, and commitment to excellence, Prof. Richard Acquaye continues to make significant contributions to higher education, scholarship, research innovation, and the preservation and global promotion of African textile traditions. His career reflects a strong dedication to transforming technical and creative education through research-informed leadership, international engagement, and sustainable development practices.