The establishment of the Center of Excellence will build on five pillars:
1) Phd program
The PhD program aims to address theses problems in a topical fashion, with batches focusing on special issues such as good governance, the role of institutions for development, alternative energy strategies, environmental change, and health. To ensure the relevance of research, and to create professional networks and future career opportunities, PhD students will be linked to German development organisations and international organisations, where they will engage in internships or conduct project-relevant research.
The PhD program will be open to Ghanaian students, but is also meant to attract students from other Centers of Excellence in Africa, in order to foster African academic networks.
The PhD program will start in January each year. The first semester will be dedicated to five teaching modules focussing on the theoretical and methodological training of the students and a period during which PhD students are expected to write a draft proposal for their PhD research. During this time, the students will also attend German classes. In June and May students will visit ZEF in Germany in order to refine their proposals and to develop academic networks. The course work ends with the approval of the final research proposal. Afterwards students will conduct field research for a year. The remaining one and a half years are meant for data analysis and the write up of the dissertation.
2) Staff development
To ensure the high quality and future sustainability of the PhD program a host of activities are planned for staff development at ISSER. These activities include specialised trainings and lectures, research visits, the organisation of scientific workshops and conference participation, both in Ghana and Germany.
3) Infrastructure development
In order to enhance the conditions for advanced education, the scientific infrastructure of ISSER is being improved. The purchase of essential and current literature will be supported by the project, while subscription to e-archives will facilitate students’ access to a number of different international journals. The purchase and maintenance of important statistical and econometric software will largely help to enhance ISSER’s software training facilities.
4) Development of research proposals
To broaden the scope and to ensure the future viability of the Program for Development Studies’ ISSER and ZEF will develop joint research proposals. Both, ZEF and ISSER have an impressive record of obtaining third party funding for their research activities. The idea is to attract research funds provided for development research under programs of international and German development organisations that would provide the necessary funding to enrol additional PhD-students.
5) Academic Networking
Academic networking between Ghana and Germany will be facilitated through frequent research visits of ISSER scientists in Germany and through short-term lectures of German scientists in Ghana. The aim to develop joint research projects will give this networks additional impetus and will spark intensive disciplinary and methodological exchange. African academic networks will be strengthened through the invitation and sponsoring of scientists from ISSER’s Ghanaian and African partner institutes, as well as from other African Centers of Excellence to the annual workshops. Alumni of the PhD course in Development Studies will remain attached to the Program for Development Studies, as they will be invited to the annual workshop and may be become part of the research projects that the center wants to develop.
