John Boakye-Danquah

ABOUT ME

I spent the initial 17 years of my life in the Atiwa forest region in the Eastern part of Ghana, West Africa. Besides schooling, I spent most of my time in farms and forests gathering wild snails, fruits, and mushrooms, collecting firewood, and tending to family fields for sustenance. This early immersion in nature profoundly shaped my academic pursuits, focusing primarily on forests and the intricate relationships between humans and their environment.

During the early to mid-'90s, I witnessed the significant degradation of the forests surrounding my community amid Ghana's implementation of a Structural Adjustment Program, which led to the privatization of various natural resource sectors, including forestry and mining. Recognizing the detrimental effects of unsustainable forest exploitation on my community, I pursued a Bachelor's degree in Geography and Resource Development, alongside Political Science, at the University of Ghana, completing my studies in 2007. This academic journey deepened my comprehension of the political economy governing resource development in Ghana and inspired me to seek ways to address the challenges faced by my community.

From 2007 to 2011, I served as a Research Assistant under the guidance of distinguished academics, namely Professor Emerita Ardayfio Schandorf, Professor Jacob Songsore, and Professor Alex Boakye Asiedu, at the University of Ghana. In this capacity, I gained invaluable insights into the transformative potential of interdisciplinary collaboration, recognizing the importance of integrating knowledge from various disciplines to comprehend the complex social dynamics driving ecological degradation, particularly within the urban context of Accra.

From 2011 to 2013, I pursued a Master of Science in Sustainability Science at the United Nations University-Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) in Japan. Under the mentorship of Dr Effah Kwabena Antwi and Dr Osamu Saito, I conducted my first interdisciplinary research and was introduced to academic publications. Additionally, my involvement in the CECAR-Africa project during this period allowed me to engage in large-scale transdisciplinary research to enhance resilience to climate and ecosystem changes. My passion for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research was firmly established during my participation in this project.

In 2014, I relocated to Canada to pursue my Ph.D. Within four years, I obtained my doctoral degree in Environment and Sustainability from the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) at the University of Saskatchewan. SENS played a pivotal role in refining my interdisciplinary research skills through collaborative projects, student engagement initiatives, and community outreach efforts. Under the guidance of Distinguished Professor Maureen G. Reed, I developed essential academic attributes such as excellence, rigour, cultural sensitivity, and self-care.

I am privileged to have been mentored by esteemed researchers and educators across Ghana, Japan, and Canada, an experience that has underscored the significance of mentorship in higher education. As an educator, I aim to foster an inclusive, supportive, experiential, and nurturing environment where all students can engage in rigorous academic research that is problem-driven and solution-oriented.