The College of Humanities has hosted an exhibition of scholarly works and a roundtable discussion as part of the College's activities to commemorate UG@75 and the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA).
The roundtable discussion, themed, "Pathways to Resilience: Perspectives from the Humanities", sought to examine the role of resilience in the College's success and its contribution to academia and society at large.
Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost of the College who also doubled as Chairman, noted the strides the University has made in increasing the visibility of the celebration of DSRA this year.
(Right) Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori participating in the exhibition
“This year, the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA) has coincided with the University of Ghana’s 75th Anniversary celebration. The celebration of both events is therefore not a mere coincidence; both the DSRA and UG@75 seek to celebrate the contribution of science in development on the continent and the humanities has played a huge role in this”, he mentioned.
He emphasised that as Ghana seeks to promote scientific research in the country, there is much focus on STEM to the neglect of the social sciences and humanities which are equally important for national development.
He, therefore, averred that the theme for the roundtable discussion is innovative and timely.
A cross-section of participants at the Celebration
“It is my belief that this roundtable discussion with alumni will provide an avenue for the intensification of lesson drawing, knowledge sharing and purposive interactions among practitioners, students, public officials, traditional authorities, researchers and the media on how we can further develop the humanities as a science to enhance our resilience as a country, towards promoting national development”, he stated.
Giving her remarks, the Chairperson of the UG@75 Anniversary Planning Committee, Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo stated that the scholarly works displayed during the event was just a small fraction of the works that had been done by the College as a whole.
“If we do not understand our humanities and our struggles and we are talking about resilience, there's no way that the Applied Sciences can be understood in context, so we are absolutely important for the context of the lives that we live”, she emphasised.
Mrs. Theodosia Adanu, member of the Central Planning Committee of the DSRA indicated that after the maiden edition which was celebrated in the previous year, the University of Ghana chose to set aside the whole month of June to draw attention to all the research, creativity and innovation as well as scholarly output emanating from the University.
Mrs. Theodosia Adanu
She stated that the essence of the month-long celebration of the DSRA is to unearth fascinating and diverse research that has been hidden for so long.
“On behalf of the DSRA team, we are very excited about the fervor with which the whole University has approached this year's celebration. The variety of events that have been planned and displayed is awesome. We hope that the idea behind this commemoration of the DSRA will become a part of the DNA of your college such that you will find any excuse to celebrate the scholarship of your faculty and students”, she remarked.
The Speakers for the roundtable discussion included Hon. Kwami Edem Senanu, AU Member, AU ABC; Mrs. Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Executive Director, Ghana Integrity Initiative; Mr. Jerry Boachie-Danquah, Head of Marketing and PR, Ghana Stock Exchange; Mrs. Clara Kasser-Tee Esq., Lecturer, UG School of Law; and Ms. Aekua Bobson, PhD. Candidate, Department of English.
The speakers gave brief presentations, which were followed by an enthralling open discussion on the impact of the humanities on the resilience of the University and the country as a whole.
Mr. Bernard Avle , UG Alumni and celebrated Broadcast Journalist from Citi FM and Citi TV moderated the roundtable discussion.
The Ghana Dance Ensemble provided exciting dance performances throughout the event.
Also present at the event were faculty members, Deans and Directors, students and the media.
