IAS Receives Three Foreign Missions

Representatives of three foreign missions have paid separate courtesy calls on the Director of the Institute of African Studies (IAS), Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo. The Director received representatives from the European Union, the French Embassy and the Embassy of the State of Israel. Representatives of the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), and the Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) also called on the Director of IAS.

Arts Council of the African Studies Association

Dr. John Peffer and Dr. Dominique Malquais, President and Vice-President of Arts Council of the African Studies Association (ACASA) have also held discussions with Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo and the Deputy Director, IAS, Dr. Kwame Amoah Labi, on preparations towards the 17th ACASA Triennial Symposium which ACASA voted to hold at the University of Ghana in 2017.  Thanks to the advocacy of Dr Labi and some ACASA members, this will be the first time that this important gathering will be held in Africa.

Dr. John Peffer and Dr. Dominique Malquais, President and Vice-President, ACASA; Ms. Aurelia Bourgueil, Head of La Maison Française; and Mr. Paulo PAIS, Head of Cooperation and Cultural Service, French Embassy.

Dr. John Peffer and Dr. Dominique Malquais, President and Vice-President, ACASA; Ms. Aurelia Bourgueil, Head of La Maison Française; and Mr. Paulo PAIS, Head of Cooperation and Cultural Service, French Embassy.

The French Embassy

The delegation from the French Embassy in Accra, led by Head of Cooperation and Cultural Service, Mr. Paulo Pais, presented a collection of one hundred and five books to the Institute of African Studies.

The collection included several volumes of “Le Journal des africanistes,” the world- acclaimed journal of the “La Société des africanistes” (Association of Africanists). Mr. Pais was accompanied by Ms. Aurelia Bourgueil, Head of La Maison Française, University of Ghana, Legon, and Ms. Veronique Guegen, Project Assistant for Cultural Services at the French Embassy.

Receiving the collection, Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, expressed her gratitude to the French Embassy, indicating that the collection would be a valuable reference source.

“La Société des africanistes” was set up in 1930 in France to conduct research on Africa and its peoples from the ancient past until recent times. The over 250-member Association is an interdisciplinary institution that promotes teaching and research as well as dissemination of information on areas such the Anthropology, Sociology, History, Archeology, Linguistics, Geography and Economics of Africa. It issues two volumes of ‘le Journal des africanistes’ per year, and regularly organizes conferences, seminars and colloquia, where both students and researchers of African studies deliberate on various themes relating to the knowledge of Africa.

Mr. Pais presenting a copy of “Le Journal des africanistes” to Prof. Adomako Ampofo

Mr. Pais presenting a copy of “Le Journal des africanistes” to Prof. Adomako Ampofo

Embassy of the State of Israel

Two representatives of the Embassy of the State of Israel, Eyal Lampert, Deputy Chief of Mission and Tamar Dagan, MASHAV Coordinator, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, held discussions with the Prof. Adomako Ampofo about a possible cooperation between the Institute and four universities in Israel, which run an inter-university B.A program in African studies. 

The Deputy Chief of Mission was especially hopeful that the two institutions could jointly organize an exhibition to showcase the Jewish Holocaust as well as the Slave trade in Ghana.

Commenting, Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo welcomed further discussions on the subject, and observed that the Media and Visual Arts Section of the Institute would be interested to hold such an exhibition.

From left: Tamar Dagan, MASHAV Coordinator, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation; Ms. Mavis Addotey, Senior Assistant Registrar, IAS; Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Director, IAS; Eyal Lampert, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the State of Israel.

From left: Tamar Dagan, MASHAV Coordinator, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation; Ms. Mavis Addotey, Senior Assistant Registrar, IAS; Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Director, IAS; Eyal Lampert, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the State of Israel.

The Institute of African Studies was established in 1961 as a semi-autonomous Institute within the University of Ghana, and formally opened in October 1963 by the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The mandate of the Institute is to conduct research and teaching on the peoples and cultural heritage of Africa and to disseminate the findings. In addition, the Institute has always emphasized publishing and teaching, particularly at the post-graduate level. At the time of its establishment the notion of Pan-Africanism and nationalism were unquestioned in the academy. The study of Africa and her peoples, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, was considered critical and was pursued with passion.

Over the years the Institute has grown to host several units and today the Institute's teaching and research units include Societies & Cultures; Language & Literature; Religion & Philosophy; Music & Dance; History & Politics; and Visual Art. Additionally we have a library, a Publications section, an Audio-visual section that includes the holdings of the International Centre for African Music and Dance (ICAMD) inherited from Emeritus Professor J.H. Nketia, and which currently has a discography and video collection of over 3,000, and over 8,000 photographs. The Institute also has a museum with a variety of collections which include Asante goldweights. The Ghana Dance Ensemble of the IAS is the original national dance company. In addition, the Institute provides hospitality services (chalets and a restaurant) and oversight responsibility for the Manhyia archives at the Asantehene's palace in Kumasi.