A Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) and Professor of Gender and African Studies at the University of Ghana, Emerita Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo (FGA), has called on students and young people to pursue academic excellence with discipline, ethical responsibility, and commitment. She emphasized that genuine achievement is always rooted in honesty, perseverance, and hard work.
She delivered this message on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, during a GAAS school outreach lecture organized in collaboration with Aburi Girls Senior High School. The programme also marked the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of Prof. Adomako Ampofo and her cohort’s completion of Form Five at the institution.
Speaking on the theme Academic Excellence, Integrity and National Identity: Lessons from Joyce Asibey, Prof. Adomako Ampofo encouraged students to value earned achievement and uphold ethical conduct. She explained that society thrives when recognition and responsibility are based on merit rather than shortcuts. She also highlighted that misuse of academic titles often motivated by social recognition, employment advantage, or political gain, weakens public confidence in genuine academic accomplishment.
Drawing from her personal academic journey at Aburi Girls SHS, Prof. Adomako Ampofo reflected on discipline, perseverance, and self-belief. She shared her academic achievements in English and Geography at both O Level and A Level, while acknowledging that Mathematics posed challenges. Despite modest grades in Mathematics and Additional Mathematics, she remained focused, committed, and guided by passion and consistency. She encouraged students not to allow temporary setbacks to define their potential or limit their aspirations.
The lecture also highlighted the life and legacy of Joyce Asibey, a former headmistress of Aburi Girls SHS, whose leadership left a lasting impact on generations of students. Prof. Adomako Ampofo and her contemporaries described Mrs. Asibey as a firm yet caring disciplinarian who nurtured principled young women, promoted a sense of safety, encouraged self-expression, and upheld discipline, culture, and integrity within the school community.
The lecture was chaired by Professor Koryoe Anim Wright of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies at the University of Professional Studies, Accra. She commended Emerita Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo for her insightful lecture and encouraged students to emulate the values demonstrated by Aburi Girls’ first headmistress, Joyce Asibey, by upholding ethical conduct, discipline, and excellence in both their academic and personal pursuits. The programme concluded with an interactive session that allowed students to ask questions and engage directly with Prof. Adomako Ampofo.
Present at the lecture were Mrs. Kate Ohenewaa Boampong, Programmes Officer for the Arts Section of GAAS; the Headmistress of Aburi Girls SHS, Mrs. Wilhelmina Obuobisa-Atakora; Mrs. Rita Biney, Assistant Headmistress (Domestic); Dr. Cynthia Quakye Maclean, Vice President of the 1976 Year Group; alumnae of the 1976 Year Group of Aburi Girls SHS; the Assistant Chaplain, Rev. Mrs. Joycelyn Baffoe-Bonnie; staff and students of Aburi Girls SHS; and other members of the GAAS Secretariat.
Through its school outreach lectures, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences continues to nurture the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and innovators. These programmes provide students with intellectual stimulation, mentorship, and opportunities to engage critically with ideas that drive social progress, national development, and ethical leadership. By connecting young minds with accomplished scholars and practitioners, GAAS reinforces the values of excellence, discipline, and principled conduct, helping to shape responsible citizens who can contribute meaningfully to Ghana and beyond.
