Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Encyclopedia
Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, is the Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast
University of Cape Coast
The University of Cape Coast, Ghana, is one of the rare sea-front universities in the world. The university was established in 1962 out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education and was affiliated to the University of Ghana...

, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

, and also the first female Vice-Chancellor of a state University in Ghana. She assumed duty on 1 October 2008 after succeeding Reverend Professor Emmanuel Addow-Obeng whose tenure of office as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast ended on that same date.

Personal life

Born on November 22, 1951 in Cape Coast, Ghana, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang attended Anglican Girl's Secondary School at Koforidua and Aburi Presby Girl's School. She then had her secondary education at the Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...

 from 1964 to 1971, where she was the School Prefect in her final year. She completed B. A.(Hons) Ed. at the University of Cape Coast
University of Cape Coast
The University of Cape Coast, Ghana, is one of the rare sea-front universities in the world. The university was established in 1962 out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education and was affiliated to the University of Ghana...

 in 1977 and obtained her Masters and Doctorate degrees from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....

 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in 1980 and 1986 respectively.

She has held various academic positions at the University of Cape Coast
University of Cape Coast
The University of Cape Coast, Ghana, is one of the rare sea-front universities in the world. The university was established in 1962 out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education and was affiliated to the University of Ghana...

 including being Head of the Department of English, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Warden of Adehye Hall, Valco Trust Fund Post-Graduate Hostel, and Dean of School of Graduate Studies and Research. From 1997, she has held the position of Academic Director of the School for International Training in the History and Cultures of the African Diaspora.

In March, 2007, she was one of five eminent scholars selected from around the world to the United Nations Headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...

 in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 to deliver presentations during the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...

.

In October 2009, she was elected Ghana's representative to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

Professional Association

She is a member of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences is an arts and science institution of Ghana, based in the capital Accra. It was founded in 1959 by Kwame Nkrumah with the aim to promote the pursuit, advancement and dissemination of knowledge in all branches of the sciences and the humanities.It formally...

, University Teachers Association of Ghana, English Studies Association, African Studies Association
African Studies Association
The African Studies Association is an association of scholars and professionals in the United States and Canada with an interest in the continent of Africa. Started in 1957, the ASA is the leading organization of African Studies in North America. The associations headquarters are Rutgers...

, USA, African Literature Association, USA and International Fulbright Scholars Association, among others.

Academic Works

"Where there is No Silence: Articulations of Resistance to Enslavement," Revised Inaugural Lecture to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., Lovejoy, P.E., Trotman, D.V., (2008), (eds), Africa and its Diasporas: History, Memory and Literary Manifestations Trenton, New Jersey, USA: Africa World Press.

Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., (2008), Where There is No Silence: Articulations of Resistance to Enslavement, Accra: Page Link Publishers.

Anquandah, J., Opoku-Agyemang, N.J., and Doormont, M., (2007), (eds), "The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, pp. 210–224.

"The Living Experience of the Slave Trade in Sankana and Gwollu: Literary Manifestations and Implications for Tourism" In The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, (eds) James Anquandah, Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Michel Doormont, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2007, pp.

"A Fork in the Road: Ayi Kwei Armah's Osiris Rising and Florence Ladd's Sarah's Psalm on the subject of homecoming" in (eds) Naana J. Opoku-Agyemang, with Paul E. Lovejoy and David V. Trotman (eds) Africa and its Diasporas: History, Memory and Literary Manifestations, Trenton, New Jersey, USA: Africa World Press, 2008, pp. 303–318.
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