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Advancing UG’s Research Agenda through the International Research Exchange Program (IREX)

 

 

 

The University of Ghana’s affiliation with the International Research Exchange Programme (IREX), enables staff to participate in researcher development and research management programmes essential to achieving research excellence.

The University Administration Support Program (UASP) Fellowship in Research Management is developed and implemented by IREX, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The Fellowship aims to develop and build upon university research management and knowledge transfer capacity through a three-stage program that includes an online research management course (Phase 1), a virtual engagement with counterparts in universities across the United States (Phase 2), and an in-person fellowship with accredited U.S universities (Phase 3). The learning models comprise workshops, group consultations and study tours of other universities. UASP is targeted at mid- to senior-level university leaders (managers, administrators, and faculty) from participating universities across Africa.

Having been selected through a competitive process, successive cohorts of UG staff have benefited from the Fellowship in the past few years. This has enabled participants to develop insights, inform or reform strategy, policies, and procedures, to impact positively on research management at UG.

Presently, a five-member team made up of faculty, research and school administrators who qualified as finalists are currently in the final phase of the Fellowship; they are Isabella Rockson, Andrews Tetteywayo, Amma Appah, Research Development Officers at the Office of Research, Innovation and Development, Mawuena Abortta, School Administrator at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and Emelia Oppong Bekoe, Associate Professor at the School of Pharmacy. These participants have focused on key areas of research management pertinent to the group of UG.  Having successfully completed the first two phases of the fellowship, the final phase of the programme started in Washington DC, where all international participants converged for an orientation programme. Fellowships are ongoing in respective host institutions across different states in America until March 23, 2023. 

With support from IREX an Industry Engagement Strategy which identifies a three-pronged approach for promoting collaborations between UG and industry to advance research, innovation and development was developed. The strategy falls in line with the University’s strategic objective to “Establish university-industry partnerships to promote research in areas of industrial/national interest”.

Over the years participants of the IREX Fellowship have developed into the global network with rich experiences being shared across Africa to strengthen the research capacity of universities, to secure funding and contribute towards economic growth and development.

Other beneficiaries of the programme include Afua Yeboah, Abena Engmann, Beatrice Biney-Nyamekye, John Anoku, Diana Owusu Antwi, Grace Martey, Daniel Junior Nana Yaw Abankwah, Barbara Blankson, Pascaline Songsore and Prof. Paa Kobina Turkson

The five-member team from UG (Isabella Rockson, Amma Appah, Andrews Tettey-Wayo, Mawuena Abortta and Prof. Emelia Oppong-Bekoe