The Institute for Rural Development and Innovation Studies (IRDIS) at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has received a Nigerian research team, Sydani Group, as part of a knowledge exchange visit under an ongoing international research project.
The visit forms part of the KNUST–IDRC/GPE-KIX project on Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices (CRTP) on Social and Emotional Development in Diverse Early Childhood Classrooms in Ghana, where exchange learning is a core requirement.
Speaking at the opening session, the Principal Investigator of the project, Prof. Paul Sarfo Mensah, stressed the importance of knowledge sharing in driving meaningful research outcomes.
“Knowledge sharing and information exchange are very critical. They are central to knowledge mobilisation and dissemination.
We are therefore very happy to welcome you. Hosting you satisfies an important obligation of this project, and we believe this engagement will be very useful and impactful,” he stated.
The engagement aims to strengthen the Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme’s (STEP) research and implementation capacity by drawing lessons from the design, execution, and emerging findings of the Ghana CRTP project.
It also seeks to explore opportunities for collaborative research, including comparative studies and cross-country publications.
The Co-Principal Investigator, Prof. Winston Kwame Abroampah, highlighted the value of mutual learning and idea exchange among project teams.
“By learning about each other’s projects, we can share ideas, perspectives, and experiences. Implementing culturally responsive pedagogies and understanding their implications requires collaboration.
It is important that we learn from each other to contribute meaningfully to our respective projects,” he noted.
The Director of the Institute for Rural Development and Innovation Studies (IRDS), Prof. Ebenezer Owusu-Addo, expressed optimism about the broader impact of the collaboration.
“It is my hope that collectively we will generate evidence that will serve the African continent well, particularly in demonstrating how our own cultures can be leveraged to support early childhood development with positive outcomes across the life course,” he said.
The three-day visit will include presentations from both teams outlining project progress, challenges, site visits, and emerging outcomes, while promoting shared learning and collaboration.
Also present at the engagement was the Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Dadson Awunyo-Vitor, who reaffirmed the College’s commitment to research partnerships that promote innovation, evidence-based practice, and continental development.
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