The Department of Accounting at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has held its inaugural Guest Lecture Series under the Vice-Chancellor’s Compulsory Entrepreneurship Training Initiative. The lecture took place on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, and brought together first-year accounting students for an engaging session on entrepreneurial finance, business growth and responsible financial management.
The lecture, held on the theme “Entrepreneurial Financing: Strategies for Funding and Growth,” was designed to expose students to practical knowledge on business financing and the financial discipline required to build sustainable enterprises.
The session was facilitated by visiting faculty from the Birmingham City University, United Kingdom; Professor Javed Ghulam Hussain, Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance and Head of the Accounting and Finance Group and Dr Samuel Salia, Associate Professor of Finance.
Their visit formed part of UPSA’s commitment to promoting faculty mobility and exposing students to international academic perspectives through engagements with universities and partners abroad.
Addressing the students, Professor Hussain encouraged them to understand entrepreneurship as more than the creation of businesses. He described entrepreneurs as opportunity-seeking individuals who identify problems, mobilise resources and create value through innovation.
He urged the students to see themselves not only as future accountants, but also as strategic thinkers, business advisers and ethical decision-makers whose expertise will be critical to enterprise development.
The facilitators also highlighted the importance of proper financial records, ethical reporting, sound corporate governance and the separation of business ownership from management. They noted that these principles are essential for building investor confidence and improving the long-term sustainability of businesses.
A major focus of the lecture was the financing challenges confronting small and medium-sized enterprises. The speakers explained that poor record-keeping, weak governance systems and information gaps often constrain access to finance. They therefore encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to maintain accurate accounting records, separate personal and business finances, comply with tax obligations and formalise their business operations.
The students participated actively in the session, asking questions on business registration, access to finance, venture capital, taxation, innovation and the practical realities of starting and growing enterprises.
The Guest Lecture Series reflects the Department of Accounting’s commitment to enriching classroom instruction with practical and globally informed perspectives. It also aligns with UPSA’s broader mandate of blending scholarship with professionalism by preparing students with the entrepreneurial mindset, ethical grounding and financial competence required for today’s dynamic business environment.
