Author: Vincent Amedzake

The University of Ghana’s Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) is gearing up to celebrate 20 years of pioneering research and policy engagement with a series of high-profile events, including an International Conference scheduled for Thursday 23 and Friday 24 April 2026 at the University of Ghana, Legon. Organised in partnership with the Migration Policy Centre, European University Institute (EUI), the conference will explore the theme: “Bridging the Gap? Rethinking Engagement Between Migration Research, Policies and Practices.” The event will bring together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to examine the intersections between migration research, policy, and practice, with a focus on African…

Prof. Eric Y. Danquah, Founding Director of WACCI and 2022 Africa Food Prize Laureate, has been honoured with the Meritorious Service Award by the African Plant Breeders Association for his pioneering leadership, visionary service, and enduring contribution to advancing plant science and agricultural innovation across Africa.

A simple moment at my desk, two phones, one old and one new, made me pause and reflect on how easily we replace what once served us well. From relationships to work and friendships, we often chase the new while forgetting the old that stood by us. Yet, true growth lies not in discarding the past but in balancing gratitude with progress, learning to value both the stories that shaped us and the possibilities that lie ahead.

Across many fronts, fresh debates on agrifood systems are gaining momentum, driven by what experts say is the need to rethink regulation, spur innovation and recognise the role of food in sustaining livelihoods and economies. That conversation took centre stage at a recent one-day policy dialogue convened by the UG Nkabom Collaborative to bridge gaps between regulators and agrifood entrepreneurs. The gathering sought to tackle systemic challenges that frustrate innovation while unlocking opportunities for young people in Ghana’s food systems. Held under the theme “Policy in Practice: Southern Belt Stakeholder Dialogue on Agrifood Regulation and Youth Enterprises”, the event drew…

The reality of climate-induced displacement in West Africa continues to reveal far-reaching consequences for individuals, households and entire communities. Its outcomes cut across loss of livelihoods, insecurity, health risks and disrupted social fabrics and sometimes the ultimate price of death. For policymakers, governments, international organisations and researchers, the issue has become a pressing concern because of the scale of displacement, its complexity and the disproportionate impacts it has on vulnerable groups.

There are moments when global crises do not simply overlap, but converge in ways that create complex, cascading threats. These convergences often become matters of survival, justice, and human security, affecting the social fabric of entire communities. In such moments, the most vulnerable bear the heaviest burden. In West Africa, women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals continue to face this compounded reality at the intersection of climate change, forced displacement, and entrenched gender inequalities. On 18 July 2025, a high-level regional webinar will bring scholars, policymakers, and humanitarian actors together to examine these intersecting challenges. The event, titled “Intersecting Crises: Gender,…

A long-standing call from Ghana’s academic and research communities for a dedicated, well-structured fund to support science, innovation, and development finally materialised with the establishment of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF). For decades, scholars, research institutions, and higher education advocates have urged successive governments to commit to a national research financing model that would empower Ghanaian researchers to generate home-grown solutions and compete on the global stage. That call was answered with the passage of Act 1056 by Parliament, which legally established the Ghana National Research Fund as a corporate body with the mandate to promote, support, and finance…

It is not every day that the Provost of one of the world’s top universities steps into your backyard to talk about innovation. But that is exactly what happened when Professor Ian Walmsley, CBE FRS, Provost of Imperial College London, visited the University of Ghana to deliver a lecture on how universities can serve as engines of development by turning research into impact. The event, which formed part of the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Occasional Lecture Series, brought together faculty, students, researchers, industry leaders and development partners to explore what it truly means for a university to be useful to society. In…

For many professionals today, their younger selves had different dreams and aspirations, but the exigencies of life have a way of steering people toward more impactful professions. These professions, they later discover, are a direct call to achieve one’s purpose, perhaps even to fulfill one’s destiny. The University of Ghana’s Dr. Naa Adzoa Adzeley Boi-Dsane has one such story. As a Medical Doctor, researcher and advocate for inclusion, she now leads a life dedicated to saving lives in the hospital, contributing to knowledge in the fields of medicine and science and most importantly, empowering persons with hearing impairment to learn,…

Cash in Africa has long been more than a convenience since it is a necessity, a tool of survival, and a symbol of inclusion in economies where formal financial structures often fall short. Despite decades of policy reforms and an accelerating wave of digital innovation, the continent remains rooted in a complex mix of cash dependency and growing digital experimentation. In recent years, African nations have embraced various forms of digital payment systems, mobile money, electronic wallets, and contactless transfers, aimed at deepening financial inclusion and enhancing economic participation. These innovations have seen considerable success. In East Africa, mobile money…