The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) has appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, as its new Chair.
Professor Amfo succeeds Professor Bill Flanagan, the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta, Canada.
The WUN, in a statement, noted that Prof. Amfo brought a combination of scholarly excellence, institutional leadership, and a strong commitment to universities' role in addressing global challenges.
The network indicated that her appointment reflected the diversity of its membership and its longstanding commitment to international collaboration in higher education and research.
Role
Professor Amfo assumes the role after serving as Vice-Chair of the WUN, where she contributed to strengthening collaboration among member universities and advancing shared research priorities.
Commenting on her appointment, Prof. Amfo described the WUN as an important platform for promoting impactful global research partnerships.
“The WUN is an engine for global research collaboration. I am looking forward to working with the new Executive Director, Professor Dawn Freshwater, to strengthen our collaborations and achieve greater impact,” she said.
The vice-chancellor also highlighted the importance of inclusive partnerships across regions, noting that the Network’s Global North-Global South connections enriched research and strengthened its relevance to diverse communities.
“One of our Network’s strengths is its Global North-Global South connectedness.
This ensures that our research collaborations reflect the full breadth of global expertise and experience,” she said.
Importance
Prof. Amfo further emphasised the importance of international cooperation in addressing complex global challenges.
“We must work together for maximum impact as our communities confront challenges that collaborative research must solve,” she said.
Meanwhile, the university has welcomed Prof. Amfo’s appointment and acknowledged her stellar leadership, which has earned her this distinguished international role.
It said the appointment reflected the growing recognition of Prof. Amfo’s contributions to higher education leadership and the University of Ghana’s expanding role in global research and academic collaboration.
It said the appointment also reinforced the university’s vision of achieving global impact through innovative research, teaching and learning, while strengthening its position as a leading global partner in knowledge creation, research collaboration and solutions-oriented scholarship.
“The university is confident that under Prof. Amfo’s leadership, the WUN will continue to deepen collaboration among member institutions and enhance the impact of global research for the benefit of communities worldwide,” it said.
Organisation
The Worldwide Universities Network is a leading global higher education and research partnership comprising 24 research-intensive universities across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America.
Through collaborative research, capacity building and student engagement, the network advances global research and education while addressing challenges of international significance.
