Brief Profile of Prof. Damasus Tuurosong
Damasus Tuurosong is an Associate Professor of Development Communications and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies (FIDS) at the Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS). He has just been appointed Executive Secretary to the Speaker of Ghana’s Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republican Constitution.
Prof. Damasus Tuurosong holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies from the University of Cape Coast, a Master of Philosophy and Graduate Diploma both in Communication Studies from the University of Ghana, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre Arts also from the University of Ghana.
His extensive work experience spans academia, journalism, advertising, public relations, business and civil society activities. Prior to being engaged at SDD-UBIDS, he lectured at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Wa Polytechnic and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). He also had part-time teaching experience with the University of Ghana’s Distance Learning Centre in Wa as well as the SS Peter and Paul Pastoral and Social Institute in Wa. Prof. Tuurosong is carving his research niche around Media and Development, Indigenous Communications, Language and Development and Theatre for Development. In furtherance of this, he has authored more than 20 articles in peer reviewed journals.
Before embarking on a career in academia, Prof. Tuurosong had a stint at Orakle Communications Limited as Public Relations and Copy Chief, in which capacity he deftly managed the public relations account of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He was also the Editor of Business Watch Magazine and Regional Editor of Sunday Herald Newspaper. That aside, he has for many years volunteered his services at Radio Progress, as a Presenter, Acting Manager, Board Secretary and currently as the Board Chairman. Similarly, he has been a member of various boards including that of the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), Tumu College of Education and In-service Training Centre. Besides, Prof. Tuurosong has consulted for various national and international NGO’s and donor agencies including the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNICEF, Actionaid and Vibrant Village Foundation.
The Proprietor of TUPASO Centre of Academic Excellence, a private educational institution which offers pre-school, basic and senior high school education in Wa, Prof. Tuurosong is the National President of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS).
Brief Profile of Elijah Yendaw (Ph.D.)
Elijah Yendaw (Ph.D.) is an Associate Professor at the Department of Governance and Development Management (DGDM) and the Centre for Migration and Security Studies (CMSS), Faculty of Public Policy and Governance (FPPG), Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS), Wa, Ghana. He is the Founder and Foundation Director of the CMSS at the SDD-UBIDS and the Foundation Vice Dean of the FPPG at the same university. He is currently the Director-General (DG) of Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), a very critical government agency under the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, and a key member (Commissioner) of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Accra, Ghana. Prof. Yendaw holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Population and Health from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He has worked as a consultant and researcher for many local and international organizations, including Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD-Ghana), Research Web Africa, Community Development Alliance (CDA), World Health Organization, Global Fund, Ghana AIDS Commission and the National Road Safety Commission. He is also the Co-founder of Innovative Research and Development Consult (iRAD-Ghana), a Ghanaian-based research and consultancy firm that is located in the Upper West Region of Ghana. He is an academic of globally aclaimed and his research influence traverse diverse disciplinary fields, notably including migration and entrepreneurship, migration and security, population and reproductive health, health Policy and Management, politics and policies of global migrantion, transnational migration, crime and international relations, international migration law, refugee crisis and humanitarian services, and climate change and sustainable develpoment. Prof. Elijah Yendaw has independently researched in Ghana and has published about 40 peer-reviewed papers including systematic reviews and meta-synthesis. Evidence from some of his research has been widely acknowledged in the literature. He has successfully led teams to complete the full cycle of research projects in Ghana. Additionally, he has gained ample organisation and leadership skills in research project implementation and management, allowing him to excel in both independent and team-oriented environments. He has also participated in many local and international funded research projects and he was part of many health related projects funded by the World Health Organization, Global Fund, Ghana AIDS Commission, and National Road Safety Commission. He has mentored and supervised several undergraduate and postgraduate students, and served as external and internal examiner to many postgraduate theses. He has attended over 30 local and international conferences, Summer Schools, Workshops and seminars, where he orally presented academic working papers. He is a member of diverse professional societies and networks, including the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, International Society for Development and Sustainability, American Association of International Researchers, Union of African Population Studies, Ghana Geographical Association and University Teachers Association of Ghana, where he served as the UTAG Secretary for about nine years. More prominently, Prof. Elijah Yendaw is an exceptional academic leader of global repute, with proven track records of managing and developing human resources in Higher Education Institutions.