Mark Kwaku Mensah Obeng

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Education/Qualification: PhD (Sociology) University of Ghana, Legon 2011-2014
                                        MPHIL (Sociology) University of Ghana, Legon (2007-2009)
                                        Certificate in Critical Analytical Approaches, University of Tromso, Norway (January –December, 2009)
                                        B.A (Sociology with Political Science), University of Ghana,   Legon 2002-2006

Research Interest:

Mark Kwaku Mensah Obeng applies qualitative research techniques to explore the people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and African actors. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon where he currently serves as a Senior Lecturer. His research focuses on areas such as the economy, consumption, formal education, and the emergence of the new elite. His PhD dissertation focused on the transnational economic activities of Ghanaian traders involved in the importation and distribution of Made-in-China products in the country. This saw him travel with some traders from Accra to Guangzhou and Yiwu as they embarked on their economic activities. His recent publications have appeared in Asian Ethnicity, Canadian Journal of African Studies, Contemporary Journal of African Studies, Review of Social Studies, Legon Journal of Sociology and Cogent Social Sciences. His ongoing research titled 'Deconstructing the uptake of Made-in-China products' is supported by the Building Africa's Next Generation of Academics project (BANGA-AFRICA) of the University of Ghana with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Mark is also a recipient of the Just Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Grant from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), USA. Mark was a postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida, USA. He is also a research fellow at the Afro-Sino Center of International Relations and an Executive board member of the Chinese in Africa African in China Research network.

Academic Awards / Grants 

• 2022 CO-PI ASCIR-Chinese Embassy Research Project on post-covid- 19 Economic Recovery in Africa
• 2022-2024 CO-PI, Team Research Grant, Building A New Generation of Academics In Africa (BANGA-AFRICA) PROJECT I ($27,000)
• 2020-2021 PI -Just Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Grant Awarded by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC, USA) ($ 10,000)
• 2020-2022 PI-BANGA-AFRICA II, Development Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Migration, Citizenship and Trade
• 2019 The Writing for Impact Workshop, China Africa Research Initiative, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Washington DC, USA.

• 2011-2014 Next Generation of African Academics, University of Ghana, Legon
• 2012 BIARI Summer School 2012: Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (Population and Development)

Research Abstract  Ghanaians and Chinese trade in Chinese-made goods in Ghanaian markets. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the government agency responsible for the promotion of investment in Ghana, however, puts limits on foreign participation in the retail sector. The GIPC Act 825, grants Ghanaians exclusive rights to the ‘sale of anything in a market, petty trading, or selling from a stall’. This exclusivity notwithstanding, there is evidence that non-Ghanaians, particularly the Chinese, are trading in the retail market space. The literature on Chinese entrepreneurship in Africa, largely explores African opposition to this phenomenon. In this paper, I suggest that Ghanaian traders’ responses to the presence of Chinese traders is a function of the extent to which the Chinese presence serves as a threat or an opportunity for the growth of their businesses. While some groups are opposed to their presence, others forge alliances with the Chinese to serve their mutual interests.  

Selected Publications 

1. Obeng, M. K. M (2015). “Motivations, Networks and Strategies of Ghanaian Importers of Chinese Goods.” Legon Journal of Sociology 5 (1): 59–82.
2. Obeng, M. K.M. (2017). “Formation and Longevity of Network Relationship Practices of Ghanaian Traders Importing from China.” Contemporary Journal of African Studies, 5(1):1-29.
3. Obeng, M.K.M. 2018. “Chinese Traders in Ghanaian Markets: A bag of threat and opportunities.” Review of Social Studies, 5(1):45-70
4. Obeng, M.K.M. (2019) Journey to the East: a study of Ghanaian migrants in Guangzhou, China, Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne des études africaines, 53(1): 67-87, DOI: 10.1080/00083968.2018.1536557
5. Obeng, M.K.M (2019). Rational or irrational? Understanding the uptake of “made-in-china” products. Asian Ethnicity, 20(1):103-127.
6. Obeng, M.KM (2019). Navigating the unknown treasures of Guangzhou, China: Ghanaian traders’ networks and strategies. African Human Mobility Review, 5(2):1611- 1636
7. Obeng, M.K.M (2022). Beyond Affordability: Explaining the consumption of Chinese products in Ghana. Cogent Social Sciences, 8:1, 2051789, DOI: 10.1080/23311886.2022.2051789
8. Obeng, M.K.M (forthcoming). Becoming a satisfied consumer of made-in-china Goods, Critical African Studies.

Professional Society          

• Ghana Sociological and Anthropological Association
• Economic and Political Sociology Association
• Ghana Studies Association, USA
• African Studies Association
• Secretary, UG-Carnegie Scholars Network
• China in Africa/Africa in China network
• Economic and Political Sociology Association
• Research Fellow, Afro-Sino Centre of international Relationship
• Executive Board Member CA/AC Research network African Studies Center: CA/AC Research Network (msu.edu)