On May 20, the Ohio State Center for African Studies hosted a delegation of ministers from the Government of Ghana to strengthen the Columbus-Accra sister-city relationship and foster additional collaboration between Ohio State and Ghanian institutions.
Kaya Şahin, vice provost for global strategies and international affairs, welcomed the delegation and underscored how Ohio State is motivated to advance global connections. As meeting host, Ousman Kobo, director, Center for African Studies, championed the collaborations and urged the participants to find additional paths for partnerships.
Joyce Bawa Mogtari, presidential adviser and special aide to Ghanian President John Dramani Mahama, addressed the attendees on behalf of the government and emphasized the importance of partnering. Wondwossen Gebreyes, executive director of the Global One Health initiative (GOHi), highlighted the evolving GOHi partnership with Ghanaian institutions in the One Health concept, focusing on capacity-building in research implementation, training and student exchange programs.
Dr. Buhari Muhammad, CEO, Heart of Ohio Family Health, and Dr. Chyke Doubeni, chief health equity officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, detailed the partnership between Ghana's Ministry of Health and Wexner Medical Center.
Professors Stephen McGhee and Donal O'Mathuna from the Ohio State College of Nursing shared insights on sustaining and expanding partnerships with Ghanaian nursing schools for training, capacity-building, and research.
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences South Centers Soil and Bioenegry Program Leader Rafiq Islam discussed previous research collaborations with Ghanaian tertiary institutions and highlighted the need to refresh that highly successful relationship to effectively promote new agricultural technology to enhance the production of healthy food in Ghana.
Emily Salopeck, Fisher College of Business and CIBER (Center for International Business Education and Research), emphasized the importance of engaging partnerships with Ghanaian institutions of higher education for training future business leaders.
Stacy Rastauskas, vice president for government affairs at Ohio State, addressed the delegation and noted how Ohio State advocates for higher education and scientific research.
The meeting provided the Center for African Studies the opportunity to strengthen its ongoing partnership with the City of Columbus.
“Thank you to Mayor Andrew Ginther and his staff for their commitment to the shared visions of promoting active engagements with African communities in the City of Columbus and beyond,” Kobo stated.
Kobo also conveyed his appreciation to the colleagues across various units who collaborated to engage with the delegates, thereby showcasing the exemplary values of institutional cooperation and partnership. Additionally, Kobo is excited to build a new partnership between the Center for African Studies and Heart of Ohio.
The visit marked a significant step in enhancing the Columbus-Accra sister-city relationship, paving the way for future collaborations and mutual growth.