Lift every voice and sing: sound, emotion and affect in the fieldwork encounter

During this past summer I was in Ghana for fieldwork as part of my VENI research project. It was such a rewarding and challenging time in the field. I made copious observational notes and wrote my reflections on a daily basis during this time. However, since returning to the Netherlands and given the hectic start … Continue reading Lift every voice and sing: sound, emotion and affect in the fieldwork encounter

[New paper, Open Access] Tourism and Hospitality Research in the Peripheries: Thematic Focus and a Research Agenda from Ghana

We finally found a home for this manuscript after almost throwing it in the bin at some point. The journey of this manuscript has been perhaps too long and understandably our love in this pet project began to wane. Thanks to my co-author Chris Mensah at Ho Technical University, Ghana for persisting when I wanted … Continue reading [New paper, Open Access] Tourism and Hospitality Research in the Peripheries: Thematic Focus and a Research Agenda from Ghana

“If it must be done, it must be done well..”: my talk at the opening of the academic year at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Hague.

A week ago on Friday 3 September, I had the honour and privilege of speaking at the opening of the MA programme in Development Studies and the Mundus MA in Public Policy at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Hague, The Netherlands. It was an honour because the ISS is my alma … Continue reading “If it must be done, it must be done well..”: my talk at the opening of the academic year at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Hague.

Manscript rejected after reviews…boo!

"I regret to inform you that the reviews of your manuscript do not support its publication and I must therefore reject it". My week could not have gotten any better nor more complete - we just got a co-authored manuscript rejected! So in a week when I got a paper accepted and won a grant … Continue reading Manscript rejected after reviews…boo!

Teaching across cultures: lost in translation?

After a shifting career ambition of becoming a TV News broadcaster and then dreaming of becoming an architect, I finally settled on the romantic idea of becoming an academic...I find myself looking back to see if my romantic ideas match up with reality – especially in the context of what I have encountered through the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE) course....I'm left pondering though, on how my teaching skills and experience developed in the Ghana and the UK will translate to the Dutch context. 

Reflections on the PhD journey: an academic life story

This is a short article I wrote (without the cartoons) for the University of Sheffield Doctoral Times Magazine. The final formatted version has been published and accessible from here  https://www.flipsnack.com/Tuostimes/doctoral-times-issue-17.html (Pg. 13)   It was during my undergraduate days in Ghana that I developed the romantic idea of becoming an academic. At that time, I saw being … Continue reading Reflections on the PhD journey: an academic life story

Academic Christmas presents come early.

Finally, the wait is over. Sometimes, good things come in multiples and in quick succession  🙂 After months, years of hard work of revise-resubmit, some fruits have began to appear in December. The past three weeks have seen some publications came to full light. Now they look like proper published articles with the right elements. There are … Continue reading Academic Christmas presents come early.

What is the summary of your PhD thesis?

As I edge ever closer to the submission date of my PhD thesis, I can now relax a bit. I can afford to look back on a bizarre incidence that happened to me on Thursday 29 September, 2016. I had a scheduled meeting with my supervisor in the late afternoon but I decided to go … Continue reading What is the summary of your PhD thesis?

Metaphors we fly by: 2 weeks at the University of Surrey

How time flies! (that is a metaphor right there but I will get to that later). With a mixture of sadness and gladness, today is my last day in Guildford where I have been on a research visit to the University of Surrey for the past two weeks. It has been a very good and productive … Continue reading Metaphors we fly by: 2 weeks at the University of Surrey

Researcher Reflexivity in Planning Research: My view from Elmina, Ghana*

As a Ghanaian keenly interested in the development of my country I feel very frustrated most times when I think of the considerable abuse of power coupled with the systemic and structural constraints to innovative thinking among planners and policy makers. Within this context of yearning for development in Ghana, the conduct of my fieldwork … Continue reading Researcher Reflexivity in Planning Research: My view from Elmina, Ghana*