The Faculty of Education and Communication Sciences (FECS) at the main campus, Kumasi of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), has organised a seminar on “Decolonising Cross-cultural Research Methodology and Collaboration,” for academic staff and postgraduate students of the University.
The seminar was part of the activities planned by the Faculty for Dr. Erinn Cameron, a Clinical Psychologist with a specialization in Social Justice and Neuropsychology, and her Research Assistant, Ms. Heather Sorensen, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, who visited FECS recently. Both of them are from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Babara, California, the USA.
The guest researchers also discussed empirical findings from their ongoing research on “Human Trafficking Risk factors: Empirical Support for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5.”
The Dean of FECS, Dr. Samuel Adu Gyamfi, chairing the August 11, 2021 seminar, explained that the visit by the expatriate researchers was at the instance of FECS to achieve the Faculty’s strategic internationalisation agenda.
He said the Faculty was engaged to initiate sustainable research collaborations with international partners to facilitate knowledge sharing. Therefore, he was happy that the Faculty could make such a giant stride by inviting the two researchers.
He commended Dr. Stephen Baffour Adjei, Senior Lecturer and the Acting Head of the Department of Educational Leadership (DEL), for his role in facilitating the invitation of the Fielding Graduate University researchers and encouraged other staff of FECS to emulate the effort.
Dr. Adjei and Dr. Cameron are both members/emerging leaders of the American Psychological Association (APA) Learning Leadership Institute (LLI), currently collaborating on a research project on post-traumatic growth.
Earlier, the Dean of FECS led the guests to call on the Management of AAMUSTED. Welcoming them to the University, the Vice-Chancellor of AAMUSTED, Prof. Frederick K. Sarfo, appealed to Dr. Cameron to look for more strategic TVET-oriented research areas of collaboration between AAMUSTED and Fielding Graduate University, USA. He lauded the initiative taken by FECS to promote the University in the global space.