The University of Ghana French Department warmly welcomed Distinguished scholars, experts, and Participants to the Opening Ceremony of its Highly anticipated 3-Day Conference with the theme “Cohabitation and Sustainable Development in a Multilingual Context: Challenges and Perspectives”. The conference, which began from 24th July, 2024 to 26th July 2024 brought together Academics, Diplomats and Language Professionals to discuss the pressing issues surrounding multilingualism in Africa and its impact on Development.
Held online and also at the Amonoo Building, University of Ghana, The event began with an opening prayer by Mr. Samuel Buabeng followed by a welcome address by Dr. Elias Kaiza, the chair of the Department of French. He spoke passionately about the significance of the conference theme and also encouraged attendees to make the most of the opportunity to connect with one another.A captivating performance by the French Club provided a lively interlude, showcasing the rich cultural heritage that exists between the French –Speaking community in Ghana.
In his remarks, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost of the College of Humanities, gave a detailed explanation on the two main elements in the theme, cohabitation and sustainable development .He also emphasized the crucial role education plays in tackling the socio-economic challenges posed by linguistic diversity in Africa. Ms. Baaba Sagoe then introduced the invited guests, including Dr. Steve, the focal person of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) who encouraged English –speaking countries to recognize French as an important language, emphasizing that becoming multilingual can enhance career opportunities and increase salaries..
Prof. Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie, Dean of the School of Languages delivered the opening remarks and highlighted that linguistic and cultural exchange is key to sustainable development. She then introduced the keynote Speaker, Prof M. K. Kodah, Head of the Department of French and the vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the university of Cape Coast.
Prof. Kodah’s address was very insightful, exploring how multilingualism has influenced Africa’s socio-economic landscape. He spoke about the origin of multiligualism from the book of Genesis, where God created different languages to cause confusion among the Babylonians. He linked the story to present-day challenges of multilingualism and pointed out that as linguistic diversity presents challenges, it also offers immense potential for innovation and cooperation, especially in areas such as Diplomacy, trade and education. His speech served as a powerful reminder of the importance of linguistic unity in promoting African development. His address ended with an engaging question-and-answer session, where participants were able to delve deeper into the topics discussed, making the session interactive and insightful.
The ceremony concluded with the official opening of the Colloquium by Prof. Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie, who expressed her optimism for the discussions and presentations in the coming days and the Moderator Ms. Baaba Sagoe, provided the final announcements, inviting all participants to engage actively in the subsequent sessions.
Watch the important moments from the conference in this video. Click here to watch on YouTube.
[https://www.youtube.com/live/IXBg4V7__n4?si=W6XEe8EriIWBLnhi]