Accra, Feb. 2, GNA – The Ghana Young Academy (GhYA) has inducted 23 early- to mid-career researchers into its membership as part of activities marking its Ninth Induction Ceremony and 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The ceremony, held at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) in Accra, was on the theme: “Strengthening Scientific Leadership for Sustainable Development in Ghana.
A statement issued on Monday said the 2026 induction cohort was one of the largest since the Academy’s establishment in 2014, reflecting its growing national footprint and relevance across disciplines and regions.
Professor Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, Vice-President (Sciences), delivering a statement on behalf of the GAAS, congratulated the Academy on its milestones and reaffirmed the Ghana Young Academy origins as the youth wing of GAAS, established with support from the Royal Society–Pfizer African Academies Programme.
He said the GAAS valued the independence of the Youth Academy, and looked forward to deeper collaboration in national science dialogue, public engagement, and responses to emerging global challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology.
Dr Latifatu Mohammed, Co-Chair of GhYA, described the ceremony as historic, noting that it was the first major in-person induction since 2021 and the largest intake since the Academy’s launch.
She said GhYA served as a cross-disciplinary platform that empowered young scholars to contribute to national development, policy engagement, and global scientific discourse, and urged the new inductees to uphold excellence, integrity, and service to society.
Prof. Christian Agyare, Provost, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, said the Ghana Young Academy was established to give a collective voice to the next generation of Ghanaian scholars and to ensure that scientific knowledge was linked to societal needs.
The Academy was built on the principles of excellence with relevance, interdisciplinary, and service beyond self, and urged members to engage policymakers early, communicate research evidence clearly, and understand the language of governance to ensure that science informed public decision-making.
Prof. Agyare called for stronger commitment to gender equity, regional representation, and inclusion of underrepresented disciplines, particularly the humanities and social sciences, to enable holistic responses to Ghana’s development challenges.
The statement said the ceremony featured the formal pledge and charging of new members, presentation of certificates, and recognition of founding members of the Academy.
It said the 10th AGM reviewed the Academy’s annual activities, financial report, governance issues, and strategic priorities, including expanding policy engagement, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing science communication.
Over the past decade, the Ghana Young Academy had positioned itself as a national voice for young scientists, promoting mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-informed dialogue on development issues.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe