The University of Ghana (UG) has named its Sociology Graduate Seminar Room after the late Emeritus Professor Godwin Kwaku Nukunya, a professor of sociology at the university, as an honour for his immense contribution to sociology, anthropology and the development of the university.
The facility is now known as the Professor Emeritus G. K. Nukunya Memorial Graduate Seminar Room.
Prof. Nukunya was a distinguished sociologist and social anthropologist who dedicated more than five decades of his life to lecturing, research and academic administration at the University of Ghana.
He entered the Department of Sociology as a student in 1958 and graduated with a BA Honours degree in Sociology in 1961.
He later proceeded to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on scholarship, where he obtained a PhD in Social Anthropology in 1964, before returning to the UG as a lecturer.
During his academic career, Prof. Nukunya served as Head of the Department of Sociology, Head of the Social Development Unit at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university from 1992 to 1995.
He was also a visiting lecturer at several international universities, including Michigan State University, Cambridge University, Indiana University and the University of Illinois.
The Prof. Emeritus died on January 6, 2023, after a lifetime of scholarship, teaching and service to the University of Ghana and the academic community.
Contribution, impact
Speaking at a ceremony last Wednesday to dedicate the seminar room, his son, Prof. Tsatsu Nukunya, said his father’s contribution to academia remained evident in the continued use of his books in the university’s courses.
He said his father’s contribution went beyond writing books, as he spent his life teaching and supervising students and contributing to the development of the Department of Sociology.
As part of efforts to sustain his father’s legacy, Prof. Nukunya, who is a professor of food process engineering, said the family had instituted a $500 scholarship for the best-performing male students in Sociology, to be awarded annually for the next five years.
He said the initiative was intended to encourage academic excellence and support students pursuing Sociology, while continuing his father’s commitment to teaching and nurturing young scholars.
Prof. Nukunya thanked the university for naming the seminar room after his father, saying “it is a significant moment for the family”.
Impact
The Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations,Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, who represented the Chief of Staff, Dr Julius Debrah, said Prof. Nukunya belonged to a rare group of scholars whose influence extended beyond their publications.
He said the late professor helped to shape generations of students and contributed to building institutions that continued to benefit from his influence.
Mr Ankrah, a former SRC president of the university, recalled his personal interaction with the celebrant during his time as a student leader, describing him as “a father and friend who helped me to navigate some of the challenges associated with student politics at the time.”
Living memorial
Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Prof. Joseph Yaro said the decision to name the room after Prof. Nukunya was particularly appropriate because of the purpose of the facility.
He said the seminar room was a place where ideas were interrogated, knowledge produced and scholars challenged, values which Prof. Nukunya embodied throughout his career, thus the facility would serve as a living memorial to the late professor’s scholarship, service and commitment to sociology and anthropology.
The Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke, said the refurbished facility would provide graduate students with a conducive environment for seminars, research presentations, workshops and consultations.
She said the room was more than a physical space, as it would provide an avenue for students and researchers to exchange ideas and develop meaningful academic collaborations.
