The Ghana Young Academy (GhYA) held its 10th Annual General Meeting and 9th Induction Ceremony on Thursday, 29 January 2026, at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) Secretariat in Accra. The ceremony marked a historic milestone for the Academy, recording its largest induction cohort with 23 new members and hosting its first in person induction ceremony since 2021.
Held under the theme Strengthening Scientific Leadership for Sustainable Development in Ghana, the event featured remarks from Professor Alfred Apau Oteng-Yeboah, FGA, Vice President for the Science Section of GAAS. He congratulated the new inductees on their academic achievements and encouraged the Ghana Young Academy to consistently involve GAAS in its programmes and activities. He noted that closer engagement would strengthen institutional collaboration and provide opportunities for mentorship from senior Fellows of GAAS.
In his keynote address, Professor Christian Agyare, Co Founder and alumnus of GhYA and Provost of the College of Health Sciences at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, congratulated and welcomed the new members. He urged them to engage in collaborative problem solving, apply their expertise in service to Ghana and Africa, and intentionally mentor the next generation, emphasizing that mentorship is a powerful act of service.
Professor Agyare also highlighted the Academy’s commitment to gender equity, stressing the need for deliberate efforts to support women in research leadership. He noted that inclusive leadership broadens perspectives, improves problem solving, and strengthens the Academy’s capacity to respond to complex societal challenges.
The Co Chair of GhYA, Ing. Dr. Latifatu Mohammed, also congratulated and welcomed the new inductees. She described the occasion as both a celebration and a reflection of the Academy’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. She noted that the 2026 cohort brings together a rich mix of disciplines, institutions, regions, and perspectives, reinforcing the Academy’s belief that excellence in scholarship is strengthened by diversity. She further reminded the inductees that membership of GhYA is not merely a title but a call to service.
The 2026 cohort represents expertise across Food Science, Nutrition and Food Security; Physical Sciences and Engineering; Health and Medical Sciences; Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; and Social Sciences and Theology. Of the 23 new members, 17 are men and six are women. The ceremony was attended by executives and members of the Ghana Young Academy, representatives of the GAAS Secretariat, members of the media, and invited guests.
The Ghana Young Academy is the youth wing of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Established with support from the Royal Society and Pfizer, it was officially launched in 2014 with three founding members. The Academy was created to strengthen collaboration between young and senior scientists in Ghana, recognizing that contemporary scientific challenges are best addressed through interdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration.
