Workshop on Writing to Publish for UG Doctoral Students

The Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI) has organized a three-day workshop from 20th to 22nd October 2020 for third and fourth year PhD students in the University of Ghana. The workshop was to provide doctoral students with the requisite skills for research and publishing. Over 130 doctoral students participated in the workshop.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu

In his opening remarks at the workshop, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, commended the CTLI for taking the initiative to collaborate with the School of Graduate Studies to organize the workshop. He urged the students to take advantage of the workshop to hone their skills for publication in top-notch journals. He observed that students constitute the next generation of academics and the critical mass on which the future of the University largely depends. He exhorted the students to see the training as an investment in themselves and urged them to reciprocate by acquiring the skills to stay relevant when they complete their programmes.

Professor Kwame Offei, a Principal Investigator at CTLI and a resource person at the workshop, acknowledged the support the team received from the Vice-Chancellor during the development and submission of the proposal for funding. He emphasised the importance of the students developing skills in academic writing.

The Director of CTLI, Professor Samuel Agyei-Mensah, also a Principal Investigator, indicated that the Centre was established with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and is tailored to promote innovation and excellence in teaching at the University of Ghana while transforming students’ learning experiences. Professor Agyei-Mensah noted that the Centre’s activities revolve around its three units: Teaching, Writing, and Technology Support. He indicated that the workshop on Writing To Publish was coordinated by the Writing Support Unit of the Centre, and informed participants that in the future similar workshops would be organized by the Centre for other members of the University, especially early career faculty.  

Prof. Kweku Tano-Debrah, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, commended the Centre for the initiative and informed students about the ongoing discussions in the University about making publication a graduation requirement for PhD students. He encouraged participants to actively engage in training programmes like this.

Prof. Elizabeth Fussell of the Population Studies and Training Centre, Brown University U.S.A, and editor of Population and Environment shared her experiences as an Editor and what it takes to publish in reputable journals.

Also present at the workshop were Professor Helen A. Yitah and Professor Gordon S.K. Adika who served as resource persons for the programme.