The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) at the University of Ghana has organised a one-day conference for its Interdisciplinary Fellows Cohort 13, with a special focus on peace and security.
The primary objective of the fellowship cohort was to bring together seasoned experts in their respective fields to co-create knowledge and disseminate findings from their collaborative research to inform policy formulation.
Speaking to Univers News, the Co-Director of MIASA (Ghana), Professor Grace Diabah, said the programme is designed to convene scholars—particularly from across the African continent—to undertake collaborative research and produce policy-relevant findings on selected thematic areas. She noted that this approach enriches discussions among key stakeholders, including both state and non-state actors.
“The main goal of MIASA’s Interdisciplinary Fellow Groups over the years is to create a common platform for various scholars from both the African continent and their colleagues from the Global North to undertake evidential research across multiple disciplines on a central theme and codify the findings into policy-relevant material that can shape governance and decision-making processes at the top level for better outcomes,” she said.
“That hardcore work is right at the heart of the ethos of what MIASA and its core partners stand for in terms of the knowledge co-creation and production ecosystem,” she added.
Also speaking, the German Co-Convener of Interdisciplinary Fellowship Group 13, Tim Glawion, said the research group’s work over the past four months focused on conducting comparative studies of conflict-related issues across different geographical locations. He explained that the aim was to assess whether common factors influence peace and security policy decisions across contexts.
“Over the past four months, under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry of Higher Education and our co-implementation partners, including the host institution, the University of Ghana, my colleagues and I have been scrutinising and disseminating literature and data centred on peace and security from varied perspectives in order to fully understand the changing dynamics of peace and security, with a special focus on the African continent.”
The conference brought together security professionals, development partners, academics, selected journalists, and other participants from within Ghana and beyond to deliberate on emerging peace and security issues in Africa and how they intersect with the global landscape.
Institutions represented at the event included MIASA fellows and partners, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and other distinguished organisations.
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Story by Sika Togoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
