Dr. Mrs. Sakyi-Hagan, Nelly Adjoa

Dr. Nelly Adjoa Sakyi-Hagan is a dynamic force in science education, gender advocacy and community development. Currently lecturing at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana, she has over two decades of teaching experience, helping shape the educational landscape in Ghana and beyond. Her research interests are in STEM Education, especially Physics and Gender Issues. Her career, marked by academic excellence and an unwavering commitment to empowering young girls, particularly in STEM, attests to her dedication and leadership in academia.

She is a PhD fellow of the prestigious University of Jyvaskyla, Finland where her expertise in science education deepened, and also broadened her global perspective on teaching and learning. Nelly has consistently advocated for innovative instructional approaches that engage students, and her numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations reflect her contributions to the global conversation on education. In addition to her teaching and research, Nelly has been a passionate advocate for girls and women in STEM, and this is reflected in various outreach programmes which have directly impacted the lives of hundreds of students in Ghana. She won the 2023 global contest on social innovation by the GaragErasmus Foundation of the European Union, and carried out the Empowering Girls in Menstrual Hygiene Project for over 350 girls in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana. She co-founded the Women Advancing STEM in Ghana Network (WASGN).

Dr. Sakyi-Hagan serves as a role model, academic counsellor a patron of the Association of Integrated Science Education Students (AISES). She is a recipient of several grants from reputable bodies such as the Carnegie Scholarship for Female Graduate Students, the Women Working group in Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the American Chemical Society and the European Union. She is a Board Member (2021-2023 and 2024-2026) and Chair of the Awards and Fund Development Committees of the International Network of Women in Engineering and Science (INWES), a global Network which advocates for the active participation of women and girls in STEM (www.inwes.org). She served the Co-Speaker of the Internal Affairs Task Force of the African Students and Alumni Forum (ASAF) and an Africademics Scholarship Ambassador.

Nelly is the Conference Chair for the African Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ACWES), 2024 https://aims.ac.rw/2024/09/11/rawise-organises-the-african-conference-of-women-engineers-and-scientists-2024-acwes-2024-in-partnership-with-inwes-and-aims-in-rwanda/

Nelly is the President of the ASAF Board (2024-2026) https://www.asaf.africa/about/board-2024-2026.