University of Ghana gets new Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development

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The University of Ghana has announced Professor Felix Ankomah Asante as the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development.

His appointment took effect August 1, 2020.

An alumnus of the University of Ghana, Prof. Asante gained admission to the University of Ghana and graduated in 1990 (Agriculture Economics).  He proceeded to study for an MPhil in Agriculture Economics again at the University of Ghana, graduating in 1995.

He joined the University of Ghana in January 1996 as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER). He won a German Academic Exchange Programme (DAAD) scholarship to pursue a PhD in Agriculture Science (Agriculture Economics) at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Germany, from August 1999 to July 2002 and returned to the University of Ghana on 1st October 2002.

Dr. Asante was promoted to Senior Research Fellow in 2005; Associate Professor in 2010; and Professor in 2015.

Prof. Felix Asante is the immediate past Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana (2013 to 2019).  He previously served in various capacities at the Institute as Deputy Director from 2011 to 2013; Head of the Economics Division from 2007 to 2011; and Coordinator of the Graduate programme (MA/MPhil and PhD). He has also served on committees at the Institute either as chairperson or as member. The committees include Publications, Welfare, Graduate programmes and Short Courses.

Professor Felix Ankomah Asante was instrumental in working with the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn in securing DAAD sponsorship for the ISSER’s PhD programme for the past 10 years.

Prof. Asante has raised funds for the institute as an individual researcher and also in his capacity as a Director of ISSER, raising over US$20 million as research and institutional grants during his term as Director and with support from Research Fellows at ISSER.

In 2007, he was the first Ghanaian to be inducted into the DAAD sponsored “African Good Governance Network”, which is under the patronage of the former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E Horst Köhler.

Research interest of Professor Asante includes development economics relating to poverty and household food security issues; decentralisation, provision of public goods and services; health issues, specifically burden of disease, spending assessments, health accounts, costing and budgeting; and climate change issues. He has been involved in projects sponsored by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), The World Bank, Danish Research Council, the United Nations System and the German Government, among others. He has worked as a consultant for the UNAIDS where he supported some nine (9) African countries namely Mozambique, Eritrea, The Gambia, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Liberia and Ghana.

Professor Asante has over 65 publications consisting of books, book chapters, peer reviewed journals and technical papers. He also has numerous research and technical consultancy reports.

He taught mainly at the graduate level and covered courses in Policy Analysis and Population, health and environment. He has supervised and co-supervised several Master’s and PhD thesis at various stages, completed and some on-going in the University of Ghana, Aarhus University, Denmark and Wageningen University, The Netherlands. He also served as an external PhD examiner at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); University of Western Cape, South Africa; University of New England, Australia; Wageningen University, The Netherlands and Aarhus University, Denmark; among others.

At the University of Ghana, Professor Asante served on the Business Executive Committee (BEC); Management Board of the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (RID); Ethics Committee for the Humanities; College of Humanities Academic Quality Assurance Committee; chairperson of the College of Humanities Research Board; and Assessor for Humanities,  Appointments and Promotion Board.

Nationally, he chairs the Council of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), a panel member of the Ghana Energy Awards, and also serves on the Local Content Committee of the Board of the Petroleum Commission. He has also been a member of the National Accounts Committee of the Board of Ghana Statistical Service; Cocoa Producer Price Committee of the Ghana Cocoa Board and the Business Regulatory Committee of the Business Enabling Environment Programme of DfID, Ghana.

At the international level, he is a member of the Grant Review Committee of the Board of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) based in Kenya, and a Thematic Resource Person for the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP). He is a board member of the International Center for Evaluation Development (ICED) based in Kenya.

Currently, he is the President of the Ghana Association of Agricultural Economics; and a member of the Africa Association of Agricultural Economics, and the Ghana Science Association.  He is also the President of the 1983 PRESEC Old Students Association.

Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante is married to Mrs. Naa Odey Asante and blessed with two daughters; Samuelle and Gracelle.

Prof. Asante succeeds Prof. Francis Dodoo who retired on July 31, 2020.

Source: Daily Mail GH