The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, on Tuesday 15th November 2022 inducted into Fellowship fifteen distinguished Ghanaian personalities comprising Prof. Samuel Agyei-Mensah, Professor of Geography; Ace Anan Ankomah, a Lawyer; Prof. Kwasi Ampene, Professor of Ethnomusicology and Maxwell Opoku-Afari, First Deputy Governor, Bank of Ghana from the Arts Section; and Prof. Her Graves Winful, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Prof. Evans Adei, Associate Professor specializing in Computational Chemistry; Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Professor of Microbiology; Prof. Richmond Nii Okai Aryeetey, Associate Professor specializing in Public Health Nutrition; Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann; Associate Professor specializing in Biomedical Engineering, Prof. Amos Kankponang Laar, Associate Professor specializing in Bioethics and Public Health Nutrition, Prof. Marian Asantewaa Nkansah, Associate Professor specializing in Environmental Chemistry, Prof. Jehoram Tei Anim, Professor of Histopathology; Prof. Bruce Banoeng-Yakubo, Professor of Geology; Prof. Sarah Darkwa, Professor of Food Science; and Prof. Dorcas Osei-Safo, Associate Professor specializing in Natural Products Chemistry, from the Sciences Section.
The 15 inducted Fellows were individually cited for their diligence, industry and invaluable contributions to their various and respective fields of study (brochure)
Speaking at the Induction ceremony, the President of the Academy, Emeritus Prof Sefa-Dedeh welcomed the inducted Fellows to join the other Fellows in taking their rightful places and contributing to making the academy relevant to society. He said, “We are in the era of the Netizens; it is important for the Academy to better harness the power of the internet through its social media handles to impact a growing section of the population who daily spend a lot of time on their screens”. To the new Fellows, I entreat you all to hit the ground running with your expertise to enhance the work of the Academy, he added. (full Address)
The Chairperson for the day, Justice Prof. Henrietta J.A.N Mensa-Bonsu, FGA in her remarks charged the Inducted Fellows to channel their energy to make sure the Academy is making an Impact and be what it was meant to be. She added that the Fellowship of the Academy is a floor to project from and not a ceiling to project your achievement.
Mr Ace Anan Ankomah, speaking on behalf of the inducted Fellows thanked the Academy for the honour done them and gave the assurance that as expected, all fifteen inducted Fellows would bring their many and varied skills and knowledge to bear on the Academy’s work of providing thought leadership in the nation’s developmental efforts.
Before the Induction ceremony, the 15 Fellows participated in the Academy’s pre-induction orientation webinar to acclimatize themselves to the duties, functions and roles of the Academy and its Fellows. The webinar was addressed by former Presidents of the Academy; Nana Dr S.K.B. Asante; Prof. Kofi Opoku Nti, FGA, Vice President, Arts Section, Emerita Prof. Isabella Quakyi, Vice President, Sciences Section as well as the incumbent President of the Academy, Emeritus Prof Samuel Kofi Sefa-Dedeh.
The Founder’s Week Lectures is the oldest of its traditions. It started in November 1960 as the first Anniversary celebration and has continued every November since then. It starts with the Presidential Address, followed by a two-day symposium on a select subject of topical or national interest. This year’s symposium on the theme “Responding to COVID-19 and Other Emerging Infectious Diseases in Society” and “The Socio-Economic and Heath Impacts of COVID-19”.
The last day is dedicated to what used to be called the Anniversary Lecture, now renamed the ‘Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture in memory of Ghana’s 1st president, who also established the Academy. The topic for the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture on Friday 18 November 2022 is “Educational Reforms in Ghana and their Impact on the Youth” to be delivered by Prof. Ivans Addae-Mensah, a Fellow of the Academy and Former Vice President (Sciences Section), GAAS.
