Imperial and University of Ghana sign major research and education partnership

Imperial and the University of Ghana have announced a new partnership to expand collaborations in research and education.

The five-year partnership will see the two universities explore cooperation in areas such as digital diagnostics, innovation and entrepreneurship, public health, environmental sustainability, and vaccine manufacturing. 

Imperial – which was recently ranked second in the world and the UK’s top university  – has long-standing links with the University of Ghana and the two universities will develop new projects in research and education and strengthen links between London and Accra. 

The new agreement will see increased mobility of scientists and students between Imperial and the University of Ghana – with researchers spending time in each other’s laboratories in London and Accra, working on joint projects and sharing knowledge and data.    

The agreement was signed at the University of Ghana in Accra during a visit by Imperial’s Vice President (International) Maggie Dallman and colleagues from Imperial. 

Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, said: "This major partnership with the University of Ghana underlines our ambition to build long-term collaborations in Africa.  

“The scale of our research and projects with partners in Ghana has grown rapidly in the last few years and together we are making a positive impact. Our work with the University of Ghana has already helped policymakers better understand the ways to raise living standards in cities and widen access to improved drinking water.   

“This five-year strategic partnership will kick-start advancements and progress in areas such as public health, entrepreneurship and sustainability.” 

Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said: "The University of Ghana and Imperial have a shared ambition of nurturing outstanding researchers, excellent professionals and astute entrepreneurs. Our continued collaboration where we co-create programmes and share resources will serve as an impetus towards the attainment of our collective goals.

"With regard to research, collaboration, innovation and issues relating to administration and management, there is a lot that we can learn from each other. We have a shared goal and commitment to excellence in research output as well as enhancing student entrepreneurship and best practices in university administration." 

Professor Maggie Dallman, Vice-President (International) of Imperial College London, said: "Imperial and the University of Ghana share ambitions to strengthen science, education and innovation between the UK and Ghana.  

“Together, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs, with the shared vision of creating a brighter and more sustainable future for global society." 

The UK and Ghana have jointly developed the UK-Ghana Science Technology & Innovation Strategy, which aims to increase the number, quality, and impact of partnerships between the UK and Ghana.   

Imperial and the University of Ghana have worked together successfully on many previous projects. The University of Ghana is Imperial’s top collaborator in Ghana in terms of the number of academic research papers published, with more than 120 joint publications in the last five years. 

Imperial researchers have also collaborated with the West African Centre for the Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at the University of Ghana to create new ways for detecting and monitoring malaria more quickly.  

Professor Felix Ankomah Asante,  Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Research, Innovation and Development (RID), said: "UG is happy to collaborate with Imperial in research, teaching and innovation across all disciples. The respected QS world university rankings ranked Imperial as number one in the UK and second in the world and UG is happy to be associated with such an institution as a partner and collaborator." 

Harriet Thompson, British High Commissioner for Ghana said: "The thriving partnership between Imperial College London and the University of Ghana is great evidence of the strength of collaboration between the UK and Ghana on science, technology and innovation, in line with the joint ST&I Strategy agreed by the Governments of our two countries. The partnership will unlock new discoveries, create new jobs, and generate solutions to the challenges faced by both our countries and the world at large."

Imperial and Ghana 

Imperial has strong links with partners in Ghana and a growing community of Ghanaian alumni. These include Imperial alumnus Sir Sam Jonah (MSc Resources Engineering 1979), a leading Ghanaian businessman and the current chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. 
 
Imperial is also partners with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) which has a Centre in Ghana, and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), whose Ghanaian members include the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technologyand the University of Cape Coast. 

During the trip Vice President (International) Professor Maggie Dallman met some of the student entrepreneurs that are taking part in the Student Venture Support Programme that Imperial co-created with the University of Ghana and the Impact Hub Accra.  

The project, which was led by Imperial's Enterprise Lab and supported by the British Council, and has just been renewed for a third-year focuses on co-creating a student entrepreneurship programme to enable students to develop successful businesses. As part of the initial programme, 28 entrepreneurial teams of over 100 students were recruited, coached and mentored for two and half months. Past competition winners have shown exceptional growth and success and are continuing to turn their innovative ideas into profitable businesses. 

The Impact of Climate Change on African Cities 

During the visit to Ghana, Imperial also hosted a special event in Accra for scientists, policymakers, industry, alumni and supporters to hear about the work the university is carrying out with partners to better understand the impact of climate change on African cities. 

Professor Majid Ezzati chaired a panel discussion with colleagues Nkechi S. Owoo, from the University of Ghana, Wilfred Ndifon, Chief Scientific Officer & Centre President, AIMS Research & Innovation, and Solomon Asamoah, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund. 

Professor Ezzati highlighted how academics from Imperial and the University of Ghana worked on a major global project that could help reduce inequalities in healthcare for millions of city-dwellers in Ghana. 

Research teams gathered evidence on issues affecting the health of people in cities such as Accra and Tamale and worked with policymakers to develop evidence-based policies for improving the health of city-dwellers. 

Sustainable sanitation

Imperial’s Professor Mike Templeton, Co-Chair of the Global Development Hub, also gave a special lecture at the University of Ghana about several ongoing international research projects that are seeking innovative engineering solutions for overcoming the barriers that currently restrict access to sustainable sanitation for all.

He highlighted examples of how to take initial ideas through to real-world impact and discussed the challenges and opportunities for scaling sanitation innovations.

Professor Templeton also collaborates with academics and PhD students from the University of Ghana on water resource projects. One of the projects examined the different sources of water that people have access to in Accra and how this varies based on socio-economic factors.

This article was first published on 21 June by Imperial College London.