About the programme
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation programme at the University of Ghana started in 2017 with a $4m commitment to the University of Ghana to reinvigorate its long-standing commitment to the teaching and research in the humanities. The funding is expected to serve as an impetus for research that explores new perspectives in the humanities and thereby increase the scholarly productivity of faculty and students in the humanities. It is to serve as a lever for future research activities and strengthen teaching and learning at the University of Ghana. In the course of time, the Foundation provided additional funding for two projects as part of the celebration of its 30 years of grant making in Africa. The two are the supranational projects that are supporting early career faculty on one hand and on the other, research on women and political participation in Africa.
Overall, the Foundation has supported the following seven humanities projects in the last 6 years under the leadership of Professor Samuel Kwame Offei, Professor Samuel Agyei-Mensah and Dr. Amanda Coffie:
- Enhancing capacity and postgraduate education in the humanities (ENCAPEH)
- Reinvigorating humanities research at the University of Ghana (REHURE)
- Enhancing doctoral training in the humanities at the university of Ghana (ENDOTH)
- Enhancing capacity and postgraduate education in the humanities+ (ENCAPEH+)
- Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI)
- Building Capacity for Early Career Humanities Scholars in Africa (BECHS-AFRICA)
- Women and political participation in Africa
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the largest supporter of the arts and humanities in the United States of America. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through its grants, the Foundation seeks to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.
Success Stories
“
Trapped by a heavy financial burden that brought my PhD studies to a halt, I had lost all hope of completing my thesis and my critical thinking skills were gone. Receiving the University of Ghana Andrew Mellon ENCAPEPH Doctoral Completion Grant was a miraculous lifeline that restored my mind and energy. With the grant's support, I successfully completed my thesis in just four months and now serve proudly as a faculty member at the University of Ghana.
Dr. Amma Gyaama Kuma
Department of English, University of Ghana, Legon
Projects Under the Programme
Overall, the Foundation has supported the following seven humanities projects in the last 6 years under the leadership of Professor Samuel Kwame Offei, Professor Samuel Agyei-Mensah and Dr. Amanda Coffie
Enhancing Capacity and Postgraduate Education in the Humanities (ENCAPEH)
The University of Ghana, in September 2017, received a grant of $800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars) from the Trustees of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for four to five years to support and enhance graduate studies and faculty training.
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Re- Invigorating Humanities Research at UG (REHURE)
The Re-invigorating Humanities Research (REHURE) project at the University of Ghana commenced on July 1, 2018, with a two-pronged approach.
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Building Capacity For Early Career Humanities Scholars (BECHS-AFRICA)
This project is a partnership involving four universities: University of Ghana, American University in Cairo, Stellenbosch University and Washington University in St. Louis, with University of Ghana as the lead Institution.
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Enhancing Doctoral Training In The Humanities (ENDOTH)
In June 2019 the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation approved a grant of $800,000 as part of its initial grant of $4m to University of Ghana to train PhD students.
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Centre For Teaching And Learning Innovation (CTLI)
The Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI), funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, was set up at the University of Ghana to promote excellence and innovation in teaching and learning with the goal of transforming student learning experiences.
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Enhancing Capacity and Postgraduate Education in the Humanities (ENCAPEH+)
The University of Ghana received funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to implement a project titled “Enhancing Capacity and Postgraduate Education in the Humanities (ENCAPEH+)” from 2021-2027.
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Meet Our Team
Prof. Samuel Kwame Offei
Principal Investigator
Prof. Samuel Agyei-Mensah
Co-Principal Investigator
Mr. Benedict Fosu Adjei
Administrator
Ms. Princess Brown
Senior Administrative Assistant