Professor of African and Gender Studies at the University of Ghana, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, has called on policymakers and educational experts to base educational curricula and ethos on the promotion of indigenous African ideals and principles.
She made the call during the 5th edition of the Wilhelm Anto Amo Memorial Lectures, organised by the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) in collaboration with the Institute of African Studies and the Department of Philosophy and Classics at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana.
Speaking as the keynote speaker at the event, Professor Ampofo stated that for academic fields such as Sociology and Philosophy—often criticised for being too bookish and abstract—it behoves curriculum developers and policymakers, particularly on the African continent, to use everyday experiences and societal activities to find innovative ways of explaining how such concepts and theories shape the fabric of society and contribute to national development.
“The axe of duty falls on our educational experts and policymakers to use innovative and real-world applications of these concepts to attract students to these fields and help them contextualise how such scenarios play out in indigenous African societies—where a lot of character formation and principles are ingrained in the minds of different groups that make up the societal structure and feed into national development in modern times,” she said.
The lecture was held under the theme: “Where Are the Therapeutic Intellectuals? Popular Culture and Autobiographical Narrative for Justice and Healing.”
The well-attended event drew participation from MIASA fellows and staff, faculty and students from the Institute of African Studies and the Department of Philosophy and Classics, selected media personnel, as well as members of the wider university community.
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Story by Sika Togoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
