Launch of DAAD Alumni Association Ghana
The German Ambassador to Ghana, H. E. Frederick Landshöft delivered the keynote address highlighting the enormous contributions of German-trained Ghanaians to national development, citing the pioneering work of Prof. Frimpong Boateng, Ghana’s first heart surgeon, as a shining example. He further emphasized the impact of alumni in higher education, research, and innovation, noting that their expertise continues to shape Ghana’s academic and professional landscape.
Representing the DAAD Regional Office Accra, Mr. Felix Barnes, Senior Programme Officer, underscored the immense contributions of alumni, particularly in academia and research. He stressed that alumni are vital partners in fostering German-Ghanaian academic exchange and play a central role in strengthening bilateral cooperation in education and research.
Alumni Contributions and Future Outlook
The launch of the Alumni Association marks a significant milestone in consolidating the efforts of German-trained professionals in Ghana. It is envisioned that the association will:
- enhance networking among alumni,
- foster collaboration in research and academic projects,
- serve as a stronger collective force in advancing Ghana’s development agenda and
- deepen the partnership between Ghanaian institutions and German universities
The alumni workshop featured a series of thematic sessions designed to strengthen professional capacity and collaboration within the association. Key focus areas included:
- Mentorship
- Research Collaboration
- Artificial Intelligence in Academia
- Grantmanship and Proposal Writing
Outcomes
A major achievement of the workshop was the establishment of two sub-committees:
- Mentorship Sub-Committee – tasked with designing and implementing a structured mentorship scheme for alumni and students
- Research Collaboration Sub-Committee – responsible for developing a blueprint to guide collaborative research initiatives within the association
These outcomes mark an important step toward institutionalizing mentorship and research collaboration as core pillars of the alumni association’s activities. With the support of the German Embassy, DAAD Regional Office Accra, and the alumni community, the association is poised to become a vibrant platform for collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
Prof. Felix Asante, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, an alumnus of the University of Bonn, and the executive patron of the association, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the vital role of alumni collaborations, particularly in advancing academia and research.
The interim executives:
Dr. Fortune Agbele
Interim President
Dr. Fortune Agbele is an alumnus of Hertie School of Governance and University of Bayreuth. She is an academic and entrepreneur whose work bridges political science research and sustainable agribusiness. She is recognized both for her scholarly contributions on Ghanaian electoral behavior and for co-founding Fortune Coffee, a social enterprise empowering local farmers and communities.
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Dr. Ghadafi Saibu
Interim Vice President
Dr. Ghadafi Saibu is an alumus of the University of Passau and the University of Bayreuth. He is a political scientist and policy analyst, currently a Research Fellow at the School for Development Studies, University of Cape Coast. He is also President and CEO of the Institute of Comparative African Policy Analysis (ICAPA). He is widely recognized for his expertise in democratization, electoral violence, social cohesion, and the role of digital technologies in African politics.
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Dr. Akua Karikari
Interim General Secretary
Dr. Akua Afriyie Karikari is a Neuroscientist and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast. Dr. Karikari is both a Fulbright and a DAAD scholar and completed her Master’s and Ph.D. studies in Neuroscience in the U.S.A. and Germany respectively. She is an alumnus of University of Wurzburg. With over 10 years experience of teaching, she has lectured in various Schools and Departments in and outside of the University of Cape Coast. For research,
Reseach interest / focus: Dr. Karikari is currently focused on neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation and neurotoxicology as pertaining to the Ghanaian context.
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Dr. Felix Eyahanyo
Interim Communication and Public Relations Officer
Dr. Felix Amenyo Eyahanyo is a lecturer at the Department of Horticulture and Crop Production. He holds a PhD in Horticultural Science and an MSc in International Horticulture from the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany.
Research Interest / Focus: Horticulture, Horticulture Engineering and Postharvest
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Sampson Addae
Interim Organizing Secretary
Sampson is a DAAD alumnus of the In-country/In-Region programme with an Mphil in Entomology from the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARRPIS), University of Ghana. He is highly motivated, innovative and result oriented individual, trained to succeed with high level versatility. Equipped with a solid knowledge of insect morphology and physiology, taxonomy, evolution, genetics, and insect ecology to conduct cutting-edge research that addresses pressing ecological and evolutionary questions.
Research Interest: Insect Biodiversity Conservation, Computational Biology, Insect Ecological Study, Phylogenetic and Evolutionary Study, Genetics & Genomics
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DAAD Alumni Ambassadors
In June 2019, Alumni Ambassadors were nominated at an alumni meeting for the following zones in the country:
Zone 1: Upper East, Upper West, North East, Northern and Savana Regions
Zone 2: Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions
Zone 3: Greater Accra, Eastern, Oti and Volta Regions
Zone 4: Central Western and Western North Regions
Visit this link for the list of the alumni ambassadors.
