UEW Celebrates Success of ILWGAWS Project and Honours M.Phil. Scholars
The University of Education, Winneba (UEW), on Monday, 14th July 2025, held a brief but significant ceremony to honour three postgraduate students benefiting from the internationally funded research project titled "Integrated Land and Water Management of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System (ILWGAWS)."
The event, held at the Council Chamber of UEW, saw the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Jobson Mitchual, commend the students and the project team for their exceptional work and commitment. The Vice-Chancellor described the project as a demonstration of UEW’s growing global research footprint and reiterated Management's commitment to supporting academic excellence through internationally competitive research initiatives.
The three honoured scholars, namely William Konlan, Raphael Sanzah and Esther Mensah, are currently pursuing the Master of Philosophy in Geography programme at UEW and were selected to be part of the ILWGAWS project based on academic merit, discipline and research potential. As beneficiaries, the students receive full academic support and essential research tools to aid their studies and practical involvement in the project.
Prof. Mitchual urged the students to remain humble, disciplined and committed, reminding them of their merit-based selection, not chance. “Many do not get such opportunities. Yours is a clear sign of excellence and promise,” he noted. He advised them not to allow the benefits they receive to alter their values or work ethic but rather to deepen their resolve to contribute meaningfully to the success of the project and the advancement of knowledge.
The Vice-Chancellor also commended the Principal Investigator and Project Lead, Prof. Adjoa Afriyie Poku, Head of the Department of Geography Education, for her leadership and vision. He noted that Prof. Adjoa Poku has distinguished herself not only as an academic but also as a forward-thinking project lead whose ability to attract and manage large-scale, donor-funded research speaks volumes of her expertise and commitment to the development of the University and the broader academic community.
Prof. Adjoa Poku, in her remarks, thanked the Vice-Chancellor and Management for their support and expressed her excitement about the prospects the project presents for both staff and students. She reaffirmed her commitment to using the platform not only to advance scientific enquiry but also to train and mentor the next generation of geographers and sustainability experts.
The ILWGAWS project, funded by the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), focuses on the ecological sustainability, land use and water resource governance of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System, a critical ecosystem in Ghana’s Western Region. The project aims to generate scientific data to inform policy, support local livelihoods and promote sustainable environmental practices in one of Ghana’s most vital wetland regions.
As part of the brief ceremony, the student beneficiaries were presented with research laptops to aid their work on the project. The ceremony ended with words of encouragement from faculty and project team members, urging the scholars to maintain the high standards expected of them and to use the opportunity to launch impactful academic and professional careers.
