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Africa Knows! It is time to decolonise minds

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Accepted Paper: B10-05. To panel B10.

Title of paper:

Author:

Nyarko Ofori (University of Ghana).

Long abstract paper:
Diaspora transnationals in Ghana have been at the fore front of local knowledge polishing, foreign knowledge acquisition, transformation and circulation from the destination to the origin. The Ghanaian diaspora in Europe and the other parts of the globe in the area of knowledge production has remitted Ghana with modern international knowledge hence putting Ghana on the map in Africa with cutting edge outcome in terms of knowledge transfer.

Ghana as a country in recent time is benefiting from its brain drain especially in the areas of health, education and other skilled labour in the diaspora through transnationalisn anchored with brain gain and brain circulation.

Many Ghanaian experts in knowledge production in the diaspora through transnationalism are now affiliated to local institutions in Ghana or have permanently returned to impact the knowledge they have acquired whiles other the destination to the Ghanaian local economy. These experts involved in the knowledge transfer and circulation from the diaspora through transnationalism might have acquired the knowledge in Ghana and latter polished it up at the current destination or abroad and is currently transfering it home or circulating it through transnational practices.

The health, education and other service sectors in Ghana has benefited from the Ghanaian diaspora communities through transnational practices. For example in the area of education now most Ghanaian schools practice the Montessori system, Ghana has researchers and academics trained in major Universities around the globe working permanently and on contract basis in higher institutions of learning, Ghanaians abroad through transnational practices facilitate collaboration between Ghanaian institutions and other foreign partners for both financial and capacity building support,cheap and affordable but quality health training offered by Ghanaian diaspora based health personnel to their Ghanaian partners and many more.

Notwithstanding these contributions made by the Ghanaian diaspora abroad through transnationalism, remittances from the diaspora though has been hinted by authorities as been spent on conspicuous goods some are channeled into the education, sanitation and the health of families left behind, for instance some Ghanaian diaspora abroad have formed hometown associations as well as old school associations especially in Europe and North America where these hometown associations do help schools with laptops and put up science laboratories to promote studies in information technology and scientific researches.