Accra: 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).
According to Ghana News Agency, 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), delivered a statement on behalf of the GAAS, congratulating the Academy on its milestones and reaffirming the Ghana Young Academy's origins as the youth wing of GAAS, established with support from the Royal Society-Pfizer African Academies Programme. He emphasized the importance of the Youth Academy's independence and anticipated further 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 highlighted GhYA's role as a cross-disciplinary platform empowering young scholars to contribute to national development, policy engagement, and global scientific discourse, urging the new inductees to uphold excellence, integrity, and service to society.
Prof. Christian Agyare, Provost of the College of Health Sciences at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, stated that 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. He emphasized the Academy's foundation on the principles of excellence with relevance, interdisciplinary focus, and service beyond self, and encouraged members to engage policymakers early, communicate research evidence clearly, and understand governance language to ensure science informed public decision-making.
Prof. Agyare also called for a 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 noted that the ceremony featured the formal pledge and charging of new members, presentation of certificates, and recognition of founding members of the Academy.
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.