Ms. Joyce Okyerewaa Danso
A student of University of Ghana, Legon, pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), Ms. Joyce Okyerewaa Danso has been awarded the Schwarzman Scholars Programme award for the 2019/2020 academic year.
Schwarzman Scholars is designed to prepare future global leaders to meet the geopolitical challenges of the 21st century. The vision of Schwarzman Scholars is to bring together the world’s best young minds to explore and understand the economic, political and cultural factors that have contributed to China’s increasing importance as a global power, and to make them more effective as links between China and the rest of the world.
Scholars chosen for this highly selective programme have demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities and the potential to bridge and understand cultural and political differences.
Ms. Joyce Okyerewaa Danso had her basic education at the Ministry of Health Basic School at Korle Bu and proceeded to Krobo Girls Senior High School, where she served as the Senior Prefect and the Debate President. She gained admission to the University of Ghana in 2011 and holds an Undergraduate degree in Psychology. Joyce is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD).
Joyce is passionate about social change and has worked on many socially responsible projects in her community. She is particularly interested in providing quality education for orphans and students who have to repeat classes due to poor academic performance in public schools while using a holistic approach in education.
While in Legon, Joyce served as the President of the University of Ghana Debate Society, the Acting President of the Ghana University Debate Association as well as a member of the Sports Council. In 2012, she was named as one of the top five public speakers in Africa at the Pan African Debate Championship in Pretoria, South Africa. She also won the ‘Best Female Debater’ award in 2013 at the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Awards ceremony at Legon.
Joyce, together with Antonio Asinyo, emerged as winners of the 2nd edition of the Ghana Debate Championship organised by Debate Ghana.
In 2012, Joyce made her debut appearance as the principal speaker of the UG debate team and won the bilateral debate between University of Ghana and University of Ibadan in Nigeria. She also won the Overall Best Delegate Award of the maiden Tertiary Model United Nations Conference organized by Life Link and participated in the Rome Model UN Conference in Italy as well as the Harvard National Model UN Conference in Boston, MA–USA.
In 2015, Joyce was nominated as the "Most Influential Student Leader of the Year' at the University of Ghana SRC Awards ceremony. She is one of 1500 Resolution Fellows around the world to receive seed funding for the Agenda Project – a project which focuses on the education of orphans and provision of special tuition for students who have to repeat classes due to poor academic performance. Joyce is a co-founder of the Agenda Project. The project is currently in its second phase at the John Mahama JHS in Mamprobi - Accra.
After winning the Diplomat (a model UN simulation on the Syrian crisis), Joyce was selected to represent Ghana as the Youth Observer for the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). She joined the Ghanaian delegation to New York City, NY – USA, where she used the opportunity to meet with Ghana's Permanent Representative to the UN - Mrs. Martha Pobee - and also participated in the Sustainable Development Conference organised at Columbia University in New York City.
In 2016, Joyce was a speaker at TEDx - Cape Coast addressing students on the topic “The Background Matters”.
She has currently been selected to be a part of the prestigious "Schwarzman Scholars Program" for the 2019/2020 academic year and will join 140 scholars to complete this unparalleled program.
Hearty Congratulations to Ms. Joyce Okyerewaa Danso for making the University proud
