The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa and the University of Ghana teamed up for a conference on sustainable governance on Sept. 19–21, drawing about 100 researchers from around the world.
The event, titled “Sustainable Governance in a Time of Global Flux: Issues, Concepts, and Future Directions,” featured six panels and three roundtables. Speakers included Elisio Macamo, a professor at the University of Basel, and Dzodzi Tsikata, formerly of the University of Ghana’s Institute of African Studies.
Topics ranged from sustainable peacebuilding history to the intersection of formal and informal institutions in African governance. Other focus areas included governance accountability, interreligious peace strategies, and governance in resource-rich settings.
MIASA, part of the University of Ghana’s College of Humanities, collaborates with German institutions such as the University of Freiburg and Goethe University Frankfurt. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the University of Ghana, MIASA focuses on democratic governance, peace and conflict, and sustainable transformations.
According to a report by Graphic Online, co-directors Grace Diabah and Susann Baller highlighted MIASA’s goals at the conference’s opening. Since starting its fellowship program in 2019, the institute has hosted more than 100 fellows. The conference is a key moment in MIASA’s six-year main phase, primarily funded by German government grants, Baller said.
The directors noted that the event offered a chance to reevaluate governance and sustainability practices, particularly in light of global changes like the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Christina Norwig of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research said the conference underscored the need for international dialogue on issues such as climate change and peacebuilding. MIASA offers a unique forum for such discussions, she said.
