Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo is the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana and Professor of African Linguistics. She is an internationally respected scholar, academic leader, and advocate for equitable and globally connected higher education systems. Her work spans linguistics, higher education leadership, research collaboration, and the role of African universities in shaping global knowledge production and societal transformation.
A specialist in pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis, Professor Amfo’s scholarship has contributed significantly to advancing African perspectives within global linguistic and humanities scholarship. Her academic and public engagements increasingly focus on questions of language, voice, epistemic inclusion, and the place of African knowledge systems within evolving global and technological futures.
Professor Amfo currently serves in several major international higher education leadership roles. She is President of the International Federation of Modern Languages and Literatures (FILLM), Vice-Chair of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), a member of the Administrative Board of the International Association of Universities (IAU), and Chair of Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). She also serves as Founding President of the African Humanities Association (AHA), reflecting her longstanding commitment to strengthening African scholarship and intellectual leadership. In recognition of her contributions to inclusive leadership in higher education, she was named Ambassador for Gender Equity and Social Inclusion by the Association of African Universities (AAU) in 2025.
Under her leadership, the University of Ghana has pursued a vision of being both technology-driven and people-centred, with strategic emphasis on impactful research, innovation, student experience, sustainability, and global engagement. She has championed initiatives that strengthen research collaboration, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and inclusive access to higher education, while positioning the University as a leading voice within African and global higher education conversations.
As Chair of the Worldwide Universities Network Partnership Board, Professor Amfo brings a strong commitment to deepening global research collaboration, advancing equitable international partnerships, and strengthening the public and societal value of higher education. She is particularly interested in positioning university networks as platforms for collective action, knowledge co-creation, and innovative responses to complex global challenges.