UG Deepens Partnership with University of Yamanashi through New MEXT-Supported Collaboration

The University of Ghana (UG) has further strengthened its longstanding collaboration with the University of Yamanashi (UY), Japan, building on years of academic and research engagement spearheaded by UG's Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE).

The partnership has now been formally institutionalised through an MoU on Academic and Research Cooperation between UG and UY, providing a framework for student, academic and administrative staff exchanges; collaborative research; knowledge sharing; and joint academic and scientific activities. The agreement aligns strongly with UG's strategic priorities of Transformative Student Experience, Impactful Research, and Engagement and Partnerships. 

Building on this foundation, the partnership has entered an important new phase through a tripartite collaboration involving the University of Ghana, the University of Yamanashi and Kitasato University under the International Program on Co-creative Designer for Realisation of SWGs Society in the Sub-Saharan Region (CoDeWS). Selected for support under Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Inter-University Exchange Project, the five-year initiative seeks to develop "Co-creative Designers" with the interdisciplinary expertise, co-creation capabilities and practical skills to address environmental challenges while advancing human well-being. 

The multidisciplinary collaboration draws on expertise from Materials Science and Engineering, Public Health, Marine and Fisheries Sciences, Environmental and Plant Biology, and the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), strengthening the interface between scientific research, sustainability and societal impact. 

In January 2026, a seven-member UG delegation led by Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante, then Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development (RID), travelled to Yamanashi to advance arrangements for the new phase of the programme. Reflecting the multidisciplinary character of the collaboration, the delegation included Dr. Kwame Adu Agyekum of the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences; Dr. Abigail Serwaa Akoto Bawuah of the Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences; and Prof. Michael Wiafe-Kwagyan of the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology. This was followed in July 2026 by a reciprocal visit to UG by colleagues from the University of Yamanashi and Kitasato University, further advancing discussions towards implementation.

The collaboration has been championed by Prof. Ebenezer Annan, Head of DMSE, and Prof. Boateng Onwona-Agyeman of DMSE, working alongside colleagues across the participating disciplines and with institutional support from the Research and Innovation Directorate and the International Programmes Office (IPO). The contributions of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo; Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante, immediate past Pro Vice-Chancellor (RID); Prof. Jemima Asabea Anderson, Dean of International Programmes; Dr. Kwame Adu Agyekum; Dr. Abigail Serwaa Akoto Bawuah; Prof. Michael Wiafe-Kwagyan; and Ms Ruffina Akwaboah Boateng, Assistant Registrar, IPO, have collectively helped move the partnership from years of academic engagement towards an institutionalised and multidisciplinary programme of cooperation. 

With student mobility and other programme activities now taking shape, the collaboration marks another important step in UG's commitment to building purposeful global partnerships that translate research, mobility and international engagement into meaningful opportunities for students, faculty and society.

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