1. Past workshops
In January 2018, the capacity-building element of the RECIRCULATE Project started with five one-week workshops at the Lancaster University Ghana campus in Accra. This ground-breaking project is funded by Research Councils UK through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). GCRF is a 5 year £1.5 billion fund and a key component in the delivery of the UK Aid Strategy: tackling global challenges in the national interest. Read More
2. Launch
The RECIRCULATE project was launched in Accra, Ghana on the 20th of September 2018. The event brought together various stakeholders in the Africa water economy. Also in attendance were high profile representatives of the various partners including Dr Victor Kwame Agyeman, Director – General, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana, Professor Anthony Jarvis, Provost, Lancaster University Ghana, Professor Faraday Orumwense, FNSE, Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, Nigeria and Professor Mark E Smith, Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University, UK. The event was covered live on CNBC Africa. Read More
3. Residences in Lancaster UK
One of the key components of the RECIRCULATE capacity building activities are the residences, which allow for selected African stakeholders to spend some time, ranging between one to eight weeks in LU. The residences encompass knowledge exchange activities including training workshops, meetings with LU staff, meetings with key stakeholders in the UK eco-innovation and water economy, entrepreneurial and social visits. It is hopeful that at the end of their residences, residents would be equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to drive eco-innovation within African communities. Thus, by learning from UK experiences, residents would be able to build a context-based models to support eco-innovation in Africa. Six of LUG staff were selected to take part in the Residences. Below are details of their profiles, research interests and RECIRCULATE projects.
Gifty is a faculty member of the Business Department and handles modules in Accounting and Finance. Her research interests are corporate governance and growth strategies in developing and emerging economies.
Areas of Interest
Waste management is a major health and environmental issue in most West African Countries and requires concerted efforts by all stakeholders to find sustainable waste management solutions.
I joined the RECIRCULATE project with the aim of obtaining knowledge about the business models on renewable energy technologies (especially anaerobic digestion) that can be implemented in developing countries in a cost-efficient manner to convert waste into energy. While energy production remains a challenge in West Africa, a huge opportunity for energy production which lies in ‘waste’ remains unexploited even as poor waste management denies countries of healthy and safe environment. I’m therefore interested in finding ways of obtaining moderately priced quality aesthetic designs of biogas plants that would be easily accepted by communities without negative environmental and health impacts for operators and members of the community. I hope to establish a model that encapsulates waste sorting, collection and re-use for various economic activities where possible. With this, I hope to be able to design lucrative business models that would help institutions and communities attract the necessary funding needed to be able to implement waste to energy projects which has enormous benefits in Africa. Finding an alternative use for waste that generates income and provides employment is a great idea and it is ideal to discover ways of bringing government and private institutions on board to tap into the opportunities available.
Dr Yvonne Otubea Otchere
Yvonne is responsible for teaching varied psychology modules such as investigating psychology, understanding psychology, personality and individual differences, social psychology, developmental psychology, the developing mind and dissertation supervision. She is also an Executive board member of the Ghana Psychological Association.
Areas of interest: Largely, my interest is influenced by the scope of my research interest
- Primarily as a psychologist, I am interested in neuropsychological assessment in typical and atypical populations.
- My interest also spans a range of minority groups such as women, children and MSM. I have worked on gender role concerns among MSM, specifically dissecting how gender roles are reflected through the African sexuality lens and related to mental health concerns.
- I am interested in how technology (digital health) can be harnessed to mediate the relationship between difficulties in access to mental healthcare and psychological well-being.
- Also, I am interested in boundary –crossing approaches in investigating psychology and non-psychological phenomenon. This is fuelled by my interest in building an influential network and collaborating with other avid researchers in other disciplines and geographical boundaries to facilitate an open cross-cultural perspective to scholarly discussions.
- I am also a health blogger and specifically, the co-ordinator for Yvonne Otchere Breast Care Foundation- influencing women’s health and mental healthcare through volunteerism, advocacy and research.
Lecturer in Marketing and Coordinator, Business Studies Department
As a lecturer, I handle marketing modules in Consumer Behaviour, Advertising and Introduction to Marketing. As the Coordinator of the Business Studies Department I exercise oversight of 16 lecturers who teach courses in Economics, Management Science, Accounting & Finance, Management Studies and Marketing.
Areas of Interest: Ultimately through RECIRCULATE, I should be able to synergize my ideas with that of other colleagues on the project, build a credible pool of network and together develop, implement and ensure the adoption of an affordable, novel yet effective solar powered drip irrigation equipment by small holder farmers particularly in deprived communities. I should also through RECIRCULATE enhance my knowledge in areas that I lack expertise collaborating with others. With my area of expertise and interest in marketing, communication and branding, I hope not only to further sharpen my skills in media and communication in different cultural settings, but ultimately develop a comprehensive and integrated marketing communication campaign that will ensure the adoption and utilization of novel products, taking into consideration the cultural sensitivities, prejudices and misconceptions that may negatively affect its acceptance by the target audience, This should ensure effective dissemination of information and knowledge. 16 lecturers who teach courses in Economics, Management Science,
Dr Benonia Aryee
Responsible for teaching Business Studies modules consisting of –Strategic Marketing, Fundamentals of Strategic Management, Marketing of Services, Marketing Simulation and supervising Marketing dissertations. Primarily, I teach, provide student feedback, as well as engage in administrative work, and research intermittently.
Areas of Interest: My focus is in four main areas:
1. Primarily, as a Marketer, I look forward to learning how to develop new marketing frameworks to enhance market accessibility and sales for Agri-produce in a sustainable manner. I would also like to learn how to remodel already existing strategic and marketing frameworks in a more adoptable, comprehensible, practical and sustainable manner for the Ghanaian Agribusiness industry in particular.
2. Secondly, I would like to acquire new knowledge and skills regarding the formation, operation, management, opportunities and challenges of cooperatives.
3. Thirdly, I would like to acquire new knowledge and skills regarding compost production, particularly, its use for irrigation, nutrient and renewable energy to the advantage of Ghanaian Agribusiness.
4. To network with other participants
Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo teaches law of torts, cybercrime, intellectual property and coordinates the dissertation module.
Areas of interest: My main interest in the RECIRCULATE project is Knowledge Exchange. I hope to design a Knowledge Exchange Policy Framework for Lancaster University Ghana and possibly RECIRCULATE West African Partner Institutions. I particularly looked forward to the learning and knowledge sharing experience which I would subsequently apply towards research and improving my role as an academic. This was my first experience related to knowledge exchange and I have learnt a lot so far. The Residency afforded me an opportunity to achieve continual learning from the experience, training, research, support and networking I took advantage of during the residency.
