Two Ghanaians selected for Gates Cambridge Scholars programme

Two Ghanaians are among 77 around the world selected for the 2020 Gates Cambridge Scholars programme. The Gates Cambridge Trust announced it has selected 77 scholars from 30 different countries. Eighty per cent of the scholars-elect will pursue PhDs and their subjects range from the impact of climate change on coastal birds to indigenous rights in New Zealand and the moral basis of identity-based harm, it added.

The two Ghanaians are Amelia Amemate who will be pursuing a PhD in Multi-disciplinary Gender Studies at Cambridge University and Shadrack Frimpong, who will study for a PhD in Public Health and Primary Care at Jesus College.

Ms. Amemate who obtained a Masters degree from Bowling Green State University in American Culture Studies states that at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Gender Studies, she will be looking at how Ewe

and Akan cultural norms contribute to gender inequality and technology’s impact on gender relations in Ghana.

“My goal is to produce research work that redefines gender relations, as well as strengthen gender-equality activism in Ghana and beyond. Joining the Gates Cambridge Scholars’ community is a dream come true,” she added.

Mr. Frimpong who studied for a Masters degree in Public Health at Yale, will focus his PhD research on addressing questions pertaining to the impact of using community engagement and farm revenues to eliminate low cost barriers such as health insurance premiums and user fees, on health outcomes and healthcare services utilization.

“Findings will guide the rigorous scale of our model across Ghana, and further inform the development of similar universal health financing interventions to improve health outcomes around the world,” he said.