The prestigious Alumni Awards celebrate the achievements of UK alumni all over the world. Now in its fourth year, the award received more than 1,700 applications from international UK alumni in a record 123 countries, representing more than 140 UK higher education institutions across the UK. Read the inspirational stories of our finalists from Ghana.
Meet the Finalists
Social Impact Award Category
Eric Gyan, University of Nottingham
Dr. Eric Gyan is a Medical Doctor at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, and CEO of MED Cancer Care Foundation - Ghana. Dr Gyan has been instrumental in cancer screening, management, advocacy, and research in Ghana. Eric’s impact and passion in cancer care has been recognised by European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) and has been invited to present a project to optimise breast cancer care in developing countries during their 11th Breast Cancer Conference in Spain in March 2018. He is also a founding member of the Ghana Breast Cancer Society.
Thomas Tagoe, University of Leicester
Dr. Thomas Tagoe is a Neuroscientist at the University of Ghana and Co-founder of GhScientific, an organisation focused on building capacity in STEM through public engagement and outreach activities. Since 2014, GhScientific has run 15 public engagement projects and 3 workshops through which over 2,500 people have been engaged. One of these projects; The SHAPE Project was the basis of a 2016 TedxAccra Talk Thomas delivered on “How to make science education more interesting in Africa”.Thomas is the regional secretary of the Ghana Science Association acting as lead on The Horizon, a morning radio show to communicate science.
Mutaru Mumuni Muqtar, Coventry University
Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar is a counter-terrorist and Executive Director of West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism working to prevent vulnerable groups from joining terrorist groups. Mutaru’s work has been instrumental in dissuading more than 22 Ghanaians from joining terrorist groups. In 2016 he worked to save a radicalized young man’s life just a day before his departure to join ISIS in Syria. Mutaru is now working to expand his counter-terrorism work across West Africa.
Professional Achievement Award Category
Philip Osei Bonsu, Robert Gordon University
Philip Osei Bonsu is the Public Relations Officer for the Electricity Company of Ghana in the Western Region where he focuses on initiating and leading the implementation of public relations strategies that boost ECG’s corporate image in the region. He also hosts Skyy Power FM’s weekend news analysis program “News Review.” Additionally, he is the founder and CEO of OBPR Consult, a public relations firm. Philip is committed to promoting youth entrepreneurship. He convenes the Western Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Summit and hopes to train 10,000 youths in the next ten years.
Mavis Asare, Loughborough University
Dr. Mavis Asare is a Senior Lecturer at the Methodist University College, Ghana and a Clinical Sport Psychology Practitioner (PT) at Progressive Life Centre. She has collaborated with health agencies including Ghana AIDS Commission to conduct programmes on illness prevention and also mental health among young people in Ghana. Her programmes have increased mental health knowledge among young people in Ghana.
Gloria Akosua Ansa, University of Leeds
Dr. Gloria Akosua Ansa is Head of Public Health in the University of Ghana Health Services. Gloria and her team provided technical support and screening service during the Ebola scare in 2014. Her work has led to the expansion of preventive health services, local research publication and structured training of health workers. Gloria now focuses on integrating preventive health into routine care, research and training health workers to provide person-centred care.
Entrepreneurial Award Category
Diedonne Agudah, Swansea University
Dieudonne Kwame Agudah is the originator of the social sanitation enterprise, WASHKing and the NGO, G-YES. Being an environmental management specialist and social entrepreneur, Dieudonne’s works have been very instrumental in promoting eco-inclusive entrepreneurship, economic growth, social development and environmental protection in Ghana to locally implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Dieudonne is now taking his skills and expertise to deprived areas internationally, partnering with other organisations to advance social entrepreneurship to solving deep socioecological challenges for sustainable development.
Percy Asare Ansah, University of Hull
Percy Asare Ansah is the CEO of Premier Health Insurance, the second largest Private Health Insurance Company in Ghana. From a very humble beginning of two staff members in 2011, the company now serves as an employment avenue for 53 persons. He has managed to turn around a seed capital of USD 50,000.00 to USD 10,000,000.00 within seven years. Percy hopes to increase his policy holders from the current 45,000 to 200,000 within the next three years.
Nelson Amo, London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)
Nelson Amo is CEO of Innohub, a Business Accelerator and Impact Investment Platform that supports small and growing businesses with high growth and impact potential to become sustainable, profitable and investment-ready. Nelson is coaching entrepreneurs in Ghana and other African countries towards set up and growth, building business dreams, creating jobs and driving enterprising solutions to poverty and underdevelopment.
2016-2017 Winners
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Justice Kwasi Anokye Gyimah - University of Nottingham
ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARD
Sesinam Dagadu - University of Warwick
SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD
Gameli Adzaho - University of Exeter