Welcome by Head of Department
The Department of History falls under the School of Arts and is one of the prestigious bastions of teaching and learning history in the African continent. It is one of the oldest academic units in the University of Ghana. It is the first History Department to be established in Ghana in 1948, upon the inception of the University College of the Gold Coast (now the University of Ghana, Legon). The Department remains the best in the learning and research of History in Ghana.
Over the past seventy-two years that History has been offered as an academic discipline at the University of Ghana, it has produced a large number of undergraduate and graduate students who have worked as lecturers (teachers), public servants, civil servants and in the advocacy world. The Department has won for itself much respect in the world of learning, globally. The Department provide students, researchers and the public with innovative dynamic services, teaching and scholarship. This is done through its enterprise of using current innovative curriculum to offer excellent training to students studying history at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels.
In the teaching and research activities of the Department of History, we focus especially on the History of Ghana, Africa and more broadly on World History detailing regionally for example Europe, U.S.A., China, Japan etc,. We also indicate that it is impossible to understand the African Continent's twenty first century opportunities and challenges without understanding how these have been shaped by the historical events and processes of past centuries.
In addition, the Department of History offers courses on Thematic Issues from a Historical perspective such as Gender, Medicine, Economics, Slavery, the Diaspora, Wars and Conflicts,Intellectual Traditions, Science and Technology, Diplomacy, Nationalism and so on.
Vision Statement
The department will endeavor to offer quality research and teaching to students for them to develop personal interest and leadership skills relevant to the enjoyment of life and enabling them to contribute immensely to national development. The Department will contribute greatly to the development of the University of Ghana, the continent of Africa and the world at large. Over the next decade, the Department aims to expand its frontiers, programmes and research areas, and to be in tune with the rapidly changing field of historical inquiry.
Mission
The mission of the Department of History at the University of Ghana is based on the belief that an understanding of history is essential not only to a complete education but also to a life of wider awareness, fulfillment and responsible citizenship. We seek to instill in students a passion for learning about the past to enable them gain a better understanding of the contemporary world and make connections to the future. The Department aims to be an open and welcoming site for a robust exchange of ideas and the encouragement of scholarly excellence. We are committed to developing in student's vital skills such as critical thinking, analysis, verbal expression, and effective writing.
Professor Ofosu-Mensah Ababio
Head of Department
BA, MA, Ph.D. (Ghana)
Email: eaofosu-mensah@ug.edu.gh