Samuel Laryea

Biography

I serve as a Professor and Head of the School of Construction Economics and Management; Chairman of the West Africa Built Environment Research (WABER) Conference; and Director of the Sustainable Construction Industry Growth (SuCIG) Research Centre (cidb Centre of Excellence). I have extensive experience in the higher education sector, acquired primarily from my academic employment and roles in Ghana, UK, Singapore, US, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. I also have several years’ experience in leadership and management, having served in various elected and appointed roles since 1995.

I began my career in construction as a National Service Personnel in the Public Works Department of a local government authority after graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Building Technology. I then became a Clerk of Works in the Development Office of a University where I was assigned to six large projects. I did my PhD in Construction Management from 2004 to 2008 funded by scholarships from KNUST and the University of Reading.

I began my academic career in the School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading, UK in 2008. I was first appointed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, became a Postdoctoral Academic Fellow a year later, and then appointed as a Lecturer in Construction Procurement. During my time at the University of Reading, I developed a new elective module in construction procurement; participated in the BSI committee that developed a standard for construction procurement; co-founded the WABER Conference; completed my Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) with distinction; qualified as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; and won two competitive and prestigious awards in 2012 namely the Research Endowment Trust Fund (RETF) Prize for Best Research Output in the Faculty of Science, and the PGCAP Prize for best Teaching and Learning Project across the University.

I joined Wits University in August 2012. This was at a time when my career at the University of Reading was on the rise. However, my ambition was to be based on the African continent where I could contribute to human development on my home continent, and Wits seemed to be the ideal place to serve this purpose. I was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in 2012, promoted to Associate Professor a year later, and then promoted again to full Professor in 2021. I was also appointed as Head of the School of Construction Economics and Management in 2021. Following my promotion to full Professor, I delivered my Inaugural lecture on 7th November 2023 on the topic: "Achieving better infrastructure procurement and project outcomes". At Wits University, I received the Friedel Sellschop Award in 2013; I won a competitive Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant in 2013; I was Chair of the CIDB Postgraduate Conference in 2014; I completed a Leadership Development Programme at Wits Business School in 2015; I was a Co-convenor for the NRF Specialist Committee for the Engineering 1 Panel in 2018; I was awarded a C1 rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2019 which signifies considerable international recognition in my field; I have been Chairperson of the Senate Academic Freedom Committee from 2020 to 2021; I developed a new Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Management with five different specialisation fields which has been offered since 2022; I won a grant of R4.5 million from the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) in 2023 to establish a Research Centre; I won my School's Researcher of the Year Award for 2023; and I Co-chaired the WABER SuDBE Conference 2024.

I have authored 90+ publications and secured more than R8.5 million in funding for various research activities. My research is underpinned by business economics theories and focuses on construction procurement and contracts. The essence of my research outputs has been to analyse construction procurement and contracting practices, and to determine how to enhance the activities involved for better outcomes and value for money. I have supervised the research projects of over 200 students at Honours, MSc and PhD levels.

As a co-founder and Chairman of the WABER Conference, I have led the organisation successfully since 2009 to achieve sustained growth, international recognition and partnerships with international firms. I have organised 60+ professional development workshops since 2013 and chaired the scientific and organising committees for several international conferences since 2009.

I have served in various academic citizenship roles including External examiner for PhD theses, External examiner for programmes at different universities, External assessor for promotion applications, Chairperson of national and international accreditation panels, Scientific Committee members for international conferences, Editorial Board member for some international journals, and Member of some committees of professional bodies.