The Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), University of Ghana, has officially launched its year-long 20th Anniversary celebrations to reflect on its achievements over the past two decades. The milestone also provides an opportunity to chart a new course for migration and mobility research, training, and policy engagement across Africa.
The celebrations are being held under the theme “Celebrating Migration Scholarship, Partnerships and the Future of Mobility” and will feature a series of academic, policy, and community engagement activities throughout 2026, highlighting CMS’s multidisciplinary approach and its contributions to scholarship, partnerships, and regional development.
The launch ceremony, held at the ISSER Conference Facility, was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, and graced by the Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, as Special Guest of Honour. The event brought together senior university officials, past Directors, faculty, students, alumni, partners, and other distinguished guests.
Delivering the welcome address, the Director of CMS, Prof. Mary Boatemaa Setrana, highlighted the Centre’s growth since its establishment in 2006 and the admission of its first cohort of students in 2010. She noted that CMS has become a recognised regional hub for migration scholarship, training, and policy engagement, producing alumni who contribute significantly to academia, government, civil society, and international organisations.
Prof. Setrana outlined key strategic priorities that will guide the Centre’s next phase of growth. These include expanding academic programmes to train a new generation of migration scholars and practitioners, as well as strengthening research collaborations at the local, regional, and international levels.
She also highlighted plans to increase student and faculty exchanges to enhance academic exposure and capacity-building, alongside efforts to establish a modern Migration Complex to support the Centre’s teaching, research, and administrative activities.
Prof. Setrana reaffirmed CMS’s commitment to advancing migration scholarship, deepening policy engagement, and strengthening capacity-building initiatives across Africa and the Global South.
Prof. Setrana also acknowledged the University’s support, particularly the Vice-Chancellor’s leadership in overseeing the renovation of CMS following the collapse of its building in June 2023. She expressed gratitude to past Vice-Chancellors, Provosts, Deans, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners whose dedication has ensured the Centre’s sustained growth and impact. Special recognition was given to the Centre of Excellence for Global Mobility Law (MOBILE), University of Copenhagen, for its support of the anniversary activities.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, who chaired the event, congratulated the Centre for Migration Studies on its achievements over the past two decades, describing its journey as a testament to sustained academic excellence and relevance.
She encouraged the Centre to deepen its partnerships, expand postgraduate training, and continue producing impactful, policy-relevant research that informs migration governance and contributes to national and regional development.
The Minister for the Interior and Special Guest of Honour, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, also commended CMS for its significant role in shaping migration policy, building institutional capacity, and promoting evidence-based decision-making.
He described the Centre as a vital partner to government and regional institutions, noting that its research and advisory work continue to support effective migration management and broader social development initiatives.
Several internal and external partners also delivered solidarity messages, congratulating the Centre for Migration Studies on its 20 years of impactful scholarship and policy engagement. Within the University, messages of support were delivered by Prof. David Dodoo-Arhin, Director of the Research and Innovation Directorate; Prof. Joseph Yaro, Provost of the College of Humanities; and Prof. Jemima Anderson, Dean of International Programmes, who commended the Centre’s contributions to postgraduate training, research excellence, and international collaboration.
External partners and stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, and Parliament’s Select Committee on Defence and Interior, also acknowledged CMS’s role in strengthening migration governance and institutional capacity.
Additional messages were delivered by Mr. Jonas Claes, Deputy Head of Delegation and Head of the Political Section of the European Union; Dr. James Rajamani, President of Kingdom Exim Group of Companies; members of the Diplomatic Corps; and an alumni representative, Dr. Ernestina Korleki Tetteh, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana.
The CMS@20 anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year, providing platforms for dialogue, reflection, and engagement with scholars, policymakers, students, alumni, and the public on migration issues.
- Log in to post comments
