Research School on Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction marks fives of strengthening research skills among doctoral students

The fifth edition of the Research School on Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction brought together twenty-four doctoral and masters students from seven universities across Africa and Europe. Facilitated by four experienced social science researchers from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and the Department of Sociology in the University of Ghana, this year’s edition marks a significant five-year milestone for the programme, reflecting its growing international reach and contribution to strengthening doctoral research training.

Participants included students from the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), the University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast, the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), and the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC).

The four-day programme, organised by ISSER in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana, and supported by partner universities including Lund University, the University of Gothenburg, and Uppsala University, combined classroom-based methodological training with practical field research experience. Activities included lectures, group discussions, practical exercises, and collaborative assignments designed to demonstrate applied learning. 

As part of the established structure of the programme, participants undertook a field visit to the Dome Market and Zonal Council in the Ga East Munipality in the Greater Accra Region where they gained hands-on experience in primary data collection through interviews and observations.

As always, students shared heartening testimonials about the programme’s positive impact on their confidence, academic motivation, and sense of belonging as emerging researchers.

“I want to thank you for the opportunity to be part of the research workshop. It has been very healing, and I feel a bit confident in wanting to pursue my PhD. I wanted to drop out because I felt this was not my place, but these few days have been transformational,” shared a participant after the programme.

In a significant development this year, officials of the  Dome Zonal Council, who manage the Dome Market, joined the final day of the programme to observe group presentations based on data collected during the fieldwork exercise. Their participation created an important opportunity for participants to present and discuss their findings directly with community stakeholders connected to the research setting, while further strengthening the long-standing relationship between the Research School and the Dome Zonal Council, which has supported field-based data collection activities at the market since 2023.  

The training was facilitated by Dr. Dzifa Torvikey and Dr. Kofi Takyi Asante of ISSER, alongside Prof. Akosua Darkwah, Dr. Belinda Smith from the Department of Sociology and Louis Hodey from the Department of Agriculture Economics and Agribusiness of the University of Ghana.

Beyond the formal sessions, the Research School provided participants with opportunities to build professional networks, exchange ideas across disciplinary and institutional boundaries, and learn from the experiences of both facilitators and peers.

This fifth edition was held from 12–15 May 2026 at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana.