The Pan-African Doctoral Academy at the University of Ghana supports doctoral students and early career faculty with training, mentoring, career guidance and scholarship. The overarching goal of PADA is to increase the quality of PhD education in West Africa by providing complementary skills that are essential for the academic and career progression of doctoral students and new PhD holders.

The flagship program of PADA is the Doctoral School which offers targeted courses on specialized topics and as well provide opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural learning. PADA schools combine lectures with interactive and practical sessions, and are facilitated by experienced faculty. Since 2015, the doctoral school has trained over 700 alumni from 25 institutions and 8 countries. PADA schools are held in January and June-July and are open to registered PhD students from the University of Ghana and other African universities.