Consultative Assembly Planning Meeting: 11-01-2012, 13hrs
Present were:
Prof. Mills-Tettey (GAAS - Hononary Secretary)
Prof. Isabella Kwakye (FGA)
Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh (FGA)
Prof. Aba Andam (FGA)
Mr. Francis Prince Ankrah
GYAS Steering Committee:
Dr. Augustine Ocloo (GYA member)
Dr. Patrick K. Arthur (GYA member)
Dr. Deladem De Souza (Attendant to the 2012 IAP Young Scientists Conferences)
Issues discussed:
1. Draft program for the launch
2. Proposed GYAS constitution
3. Agreed date for the consultative assembly>>> 19th February 2013
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the 19th February 2013:
The meeting came off well.
80 + young scientists gathered.
The name of the group shall be call:
Ghana Young Academy (GhYA) - to distinguish it from the GYA - the global body.
A 10 man interim steering committee is set up to prepare constitution and the official lunch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed Report By Mr Francis Ankrah
22nd May 2013
--------------------------------------
Meeting for the preparation to launch:
Upon returning from the GA of the GYA in Germany.
Dr. Agyare and Dr. Arthur proposed a meeting with the
GhYA committee of the GAAS. This was granted by
Prof. Mills-Tettey and Prof. Manuh.
We discuss the way for to the formal launch of the GhYA.
We drafted a programme for the launch event and also
a proposal for fundraising.
The proposal was initially sent to GYA but there was no success.
The GAAS then forwarded the same proposal to the Royal Society
in the UK which graciously provided funding to the tune of the full
budget.
----------------
FINALLY: The launch event
13th May 2014
Present were:
Prof. Mills-Tettey (GAAS - Hononary Secretary)
Prof. Isabella Kwakye (FGA)
Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh (FGA)
Prof. Aba Andam (FGA)
Mr. Francis Prince Ankrah
GYAS Steering Committee:
Dr. Augustine Ocloo (GYA member)
Dr. Patrick K. Arthur (GYA member)
Dr. Deladem De Souza (Attendant to the 2012 IAP Young Scientists Conferences)
Issues discussed:
1. Draft program for the launch
2. Proposed GYAS constitution
3. Agreed date for the consultative assembly>>> 19th February 2013
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the 19th February 2013:
The meeting came off well.
80 + young scientists gathered.
The name of the group shall be call:
Ghana Young Academy (GhYA) - to distinguish it from the GYA - the global body.
A 10 man interim steering committee is set up to prepare constitution and the official lunch.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed Report By Mr Francis Ankrah
GHANA ACADEMY
OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
YOUNG
SCIENTISTS FORUM CONSULTATIVE MEETING
CONCISE REPORT
Promoting
Excellence in Knowledge
19
February 2013
The Ghana Academy of Arts and
Sciences (GAAS) with funding from the Royal Society Pfizer African Academies
Programme held a Young Scientists Forum Consultative Meeting at the Centre for
African Wetlands Auditorium, Legon, Accra on 19th February 2013. The
one-day consultative workshop was held to herald the establishment of a Young
Scientists Forum to be affiliated to the Global Young Academy.
The overall objective of this
programme is to strengthen the collaboration between scientists (young and
senior) and science organisations nationally and around the globe to work on
scientific and regional issues; and increase the visibility of young scientists
to their global peers through the Young Scientists Forum as well as the general
scientific community.
The Ghana
Academy of Arts and Sciences invited 100 participants from some Universities
and Research organizations in Ghana. These included the University of Ghana,
Legon; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Ashesi University College, Berekuso;
Valley View University Oyibi; Central University College, Miotso; the Food and
Drugs Board (FDB); Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and
the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Plant Medicine (KCCR).
The
workshop was formally opened by Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, Assistant Honorary
Secretary (Arts); Chairman of the local planning committee established to plan
the event and was chaired by was chaired by Prof. Reginald Fraser Amonoo,
Immediate Past President of the Academy, who graciously accepted to stand in for
Prof. Francis K.A. Allotey, FGA, President of GAAS at very short notice. The
Chairman expressed GAAS’ sincerest thanks to the Royal Society Pfizer African
Academies programme for making funds available for organizing this event in
addition to the 2-day workshop on the Problem of Counterfeit and Substandard
drugs in Ghana to be held on 26-27 March 2013. Other speakers at the event
included:
· Prof. Isabella A. Quakyi, Assistant Honorary Secretary
(Sciences) who delivered the Keynote Address on the topic “Who Is A Scientist”;
· Prof. Ralph Mills-Tettey, Honorary Secretary, who
presented a paper on “How GAAS Should and is Helping to Establish a Young
Scientists Academy”; and
· Mr. Francis P. Ankrah, Publications
and Fundraising Officer, GAAS who did a 20-minute presentation on “FAQs about
the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences”.
A total of
7 presentations on varied topics were delivered and discussed under the
following sub topics:
· “A Young Scientists Experiences
Associating with GAAS”;
· “Developments in the Humanities and
Social Sciences pertaining to Young Scientists/Researchers”;
· “Why and How Scientists Must
Communicate What they are Doing”;
· “Why GAAS Should and Is Helping to
Establish a Young Scientists Academy – The Genesis” and
· “The Global Young Academy –
Eligibility Criteria”.
The
Resource persons who treated the above-listed presentations comprised:
1. Dr. George Obeng Adjei, Senior Lecturer and Head,
Centre for tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ghana
Medical School
2. Prof. Ama de-Graft Aikins, Associate professor,
Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Legon
3. Mr. Kweku Rockson, Senior Lecturer, Ghana Institute of
Journalism;
4. Dr. Augustine Ocloo, Head, Department of Biochemistry,
Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana; and
5. Dr. Patrick K. Arthur, Department of Biochemistry,
Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana
The ensuing business
meeting following the presentations led to the following resolutions:
- Choice of the name: Ghana Young Academy (GhYA)
- The nomination and empowerment of a ten-member
interim steering committee, chaired by Dr. Augustine Ocloo, Head,
Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of
Ghana to draft a local membership selection paper for the study and review
of participants. The interim steering committee comprising the following,
have three months to submit their draft paper:
· Dr. Augustine Ocloo, Head, Department of Biochemistry,
Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana;
· Dr. Patrick K. Arthur, Department of Biochemistry,
Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana;
· Dr. Christian Agyare, Faculty of Pharmacy, KNUST
· Naa Adjeley Alakija, Faculty of Social Sciences,
University of Cape Coast
· Gloria Adu Boakyewa, SARI-CSIR
· Dr. Amidu Nafiu, University of Development Studies
Medical School
· David Ampah, Soil Research Institute, Accra Centre
· Edmund Osei-Owusu, PGRRI-CSIR
· Dr. Paul Doku, Regent University College
· Lydia Aziato, School of Nursing, University of Ghana
- Minimum entry qualifications to start from the
Masters level for applicants below 45 years of age; and the
- Period of membership to be from 4-6 years
- Members of the Steering Committee do not become
automatic members of GhYA but like anybody else would have to apply to be
considered for membership ultimately.
It was strongly felt that in
considering “Next Steps” the Ghana Academy could establish a review committee
to scrutinize the steering committee’s paper on membership selection and
subsequently applications for membership from interested young scientists. The
Honorary Secretary also pledged to push for space to be made available to house
the Secretariat of the GHYA in the Academy’s 5-storey headquarters that is
currently under construction.
Prof. R.F. Amonoo, in his concluding
remarks expressed appreciation at the interest shown by participants in the
proceedings and encouraged them to continue to work hard to firmly establish
the Young Academy as a respected national institution. To this end he advised that
the necessary steps should be taken to seek parliamentary recognition through
the statutory incorporation of the group when it is finally established.
Appendices
University of
Ghana, Legon
1.
Noguchi
Memorial Institute for Medical Research
2.
Institute
for Statistical Social and Economic Research
3.
Faculty
of Engineering Science
4.
Faculty
of Social Sciences
5.
Faculty
of Science
6.
College
of Health Sciences
7.
College
of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences
8.
School
of Pharmacy
9.
School
of Nursing
10. School of Public Health
11. School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences
12. Regional Institute for Population
Studies
13. Institute of African Studies
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science
and Technology, Kumasi
14. College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources
15. College of Architecture and Planning
16. College of Arts and Social Sciences
17. College of Engineering
18. College of Health Sciences
19. College of Science
20. Kumasi Centre for Collaborative
Research into Tropical Medicine
University for Development Studies,
Tamale
21. Faculty of Applied Sciences
22. Faculty of Mathematical Sciences
23. Faculty of Renewable Natural
Resources
24. Faculty of Agriculture
25. Faculty of Integrated Development
Studies
26. School of Medicine and Health
Sciences
University of Cape Coast
27. Faculty of Science
28. Faculty of Social Sciences
29. Ashesi University
30. Valley View University
31. Regent University College
32. Central University College
33. Methodist University College
34. Ghana Telecom University College
35. Catholic University College, Fiapre
36. Ghana Atomic Energy Commission
37. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (Head Office)
38. Oil Palm Research Institute, CSIR
39. Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, CSIR
40. Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, CSIR
41. Institute of Industrial Research, CSIR
42. Crops Research Institute, CSIR
43. Food Research Institute, CSIR
44. Soil Research Institute, CSIR
45. Building and Road Research Institute, CSIR
46. Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, CSIR
47. Water Research Institute, CSIR
48. Animal Research Institute, CSIR
49. Institute for Scientific and Technological Information, CSIR
50. Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, CSIR
51. Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine
52. Ghana Standards Authority
53. Food and Drugs Authority
54. Ghana Science Association
55. Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG)
56. Ghana Association of Science Teachers
57. Ghana Institution of Engineers
58. Tema Oil Refinery
59. Volta River Authority
--------------------------------------
Meeting for the preparation to launch:
Upon returning from the GA of the GYA in Germany.
Dr. Agyare and Dr. Arthur proposed a meeting with the
GhYA committee of the GAAS. This was granted by
Prof. Mills-Tettey and Prof. Manuh.
We discuss the way for to the formal launch of the GhYA.
We drafted a programme for the launch event and also
a proposal for fundraising.
The proposal was initially sent to GYA but there was no success.
The GAAS then forwarded the same proposal to the Royal Society
in the UK which graciously provided funding to the tune of the full
budget.
----------------
FINALLY: The launch event
13th May 2014
he Ghana Young Academy (GhYA) has been formally launched at a short ceremony in Accra on Tuesday 13th May 2014. Prof. Francis K.A. Allotey, President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences who did the launch said the young Academy will encourage interdisciplinary research among young scientists thereby fostering the habit early in their careers.
He asked the young scientists to strive to uphold excellence and to be authoritative in reflecting the values of transparency and openness in their dealings. Prof. Allotey thanked his predecessor, Prof. Reginald F. Amonoo, immediate Past President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and Prof. Francis K. Nkrumah, immediate Past Vice President of the Sciences Section who ensured that discussions for the establishment of a Ghana Young Academy stayed fresh on the national academy’s agenda. He also expressed gratitude to the Royal Society, UK through the Royal Society Pfizer African Academies programme for the financial support it offered for the Young Scientists Forum Consultative Meeting in February 2013 and the Launch of the Ghana Young Academy in May 2014.
Prof. R.F. Amonoo, immediate Past President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences giving brief remarks, expressed appreciation at the interest shown by participants in the proceedings and encouraged them to continue to work hard to firmly establish the Young Academy as a respected national institution.
Three, out of ten members of the interim steering committee established in February 2013 to put together selection criteria for membership of the Ghana Young Academy, were inducted as Founding Fellows. The three inductees are:
Dr. Augustine Ocloo , a Senior Lecturer of Biochemistry and former Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon;
Dr. Patrick Kobina Arthur , a Lecturer at Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology of the University of Ghana; and
Dr. Christian Agyare, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.
Speaking on behalf of the inducted founding members, Dr. Augustine Ocloo, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology of the University of Ghana, Legon said he was gratified that five years after he requested the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences to undertake the task of seeing to the establishment of an independent young Academy the dream had nonetheless come to pass. He said by this feat the Senior Academy had shown its interest in seeing to the strengthening of the collaboration between scientists (young and senior) and science organisations nationally and around the globe to work on scientific and regional issues in addition to increasing the visibility of young scientists to their global peers.
Prof. Ralph Mills-Tettey, Honorary Secretary of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences said it was necessary to nominate Foundation Members, just as occurred at the inception of the GAAS in 1959 to ensure the autonomy of the Ghana Young Academy after the launch ; and most importantly, for practical purposes, to have persons with the capacity to get the body registered with the Registrar-General’s Department and also prepare the way for assessment and election of the first intake of members when nominations open in the second half of the year.
He said the three were chosen from the Interim Committee of ten, purely on the grounds that they had already met the selection criteria of the Global Young Academy (GYA) which the Ghana Young Academy is adopting and that by the resolutions reached by the Interim Steering Committee, the Foundation Members will have ‘Director’ status to facilitate registration and administrative purposes of the new body.
Pre-recorded goodwill messages from the following international personalities were played back at the launch: Prof. Bernard Slippers, immediate past Co-Chair of Global Young Academy (GYA) and Founding Member of GYA and an Associate Professor in Genetics at the University of Pretoria, South Africa; Prof. Rees Kassen, Co-Chair of Global Young Academy (GYA) and an Associate Professor and University Research Chair in Experimental Evolution at the University of Ottawa, Canada; Dr. Sameh H. Soror, Co-Chair of Global Young Academy (GYA) and an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt; and Dr. Abidemi James Akindele, President of Nigerian National Young Academy (NNYA) and a lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Dr. Christian Agyare, a Founding Member of the Ghana Young Academy speaking on the Selection and Eligibility Criteria for membership of the Ghana Young Academy said the maiden call for applications and nomination through both the electronic and print media would be done before the end of August 2014, to allow the Review Panels two months to do the assessment, after which the announcement of successful candidates would be published in November 2014. He said a minimum qualification of a Masters in one’s chosen area was a prerequisite to the application process. Successful candidates will enjoy a 4-year membership status after they become alumni. The subsequent Q &A session generated very lively discussions on the eligibility criteria. It was agreed that networking of those present with the Secretariat of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, would be a useful means of keeping the group together and also providing them with ample information on the eligibility criteria before the call for nominations is announced.
More than 50 young scientists drawn from the University of Ghana, Legon; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; the thirteen Institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Ashesi University College, Berekuso; Central University College, Miotso; the Food and Drugs authority (FDA); the Ghana Standards Authority, the Volta River Authority; Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Plant Medicine (KCCR) attended the event.
Other Fellows of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences present at the event were Emeritus Prof. Francis Nkrumah, Immediate Past Vice President of the Sciences Section of the Academy, Emeritus Prof. Ebenezer Laing, Former Vice President (Sciences Section) and Prof. Isabella Quakyi, Assistant Honorary Secretary (Sciences Section).
The Ghana Young Academy which is to be affiliated to the Global Young Academy will be the voice of young scientists around the country. It has as its motto ‘Ingenuity and resourcefulness for the progress of Ghana’.
