Ghanaian students pursuing higher education across the globe are set to converge virtually for the maiden Ghana Diaspora Students Forum (GDSF), a landmark initiative aimed at harnessing the expertise, experiences and networks of Ghana’s student diaspora to contribute to the country’s development.
The forum, themed “Pathways, Ecosystems and Diaspora as Development,” is being convened by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) Germany in collaboration with NUGS UK and NUGS China. It seeks to create a platform for dialogue on academic mobility, career opportunities, research collaboration, entrepreneurship, and the critical role of Ghanaian students abroad in shaping the nation’s future.
The event will bring together distinguished policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs and development experts from Ghana, Germany and beyond to engage participants in discussions on transforming international education into sustainable development outcomes for Ghana.
The forum will be opened by Mr. Kofi Okyere-Darko, Director of the Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President of Ghana, who will deliver the Distinguished Guest’s keynote address, setting out Ghana’s policy priorities and the strategic role of students and young graduates abroad in national development.
He will be followed by Raymond Höptner, Member of the State Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany (Landtag Rheinland-Pfalz), whose keynote is expected to focus on youth leadership, policy and public service, drawing on his work as Spokesperson for Youth and Children’s Policy.
Closing the keynote sessions is renowned entrepreneur, humanitarian and Founder of the Young Professionals Business Network (YPBN), Pastor Daniel Amoateng, who will speak on leadership, entrepreneurship and purpose-driven impact among young professionals.
The keynotes will be followed by a panel discussion, moderated by broadcast journalist Kwaku Asante, featuring an accomplished lineup of institutional, research and student-leadership voices.
They include Dr. Vera Hayibor, researcher, social entrepreneur and alumna of the Young Leaders Programme of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Ghana; and Abdul-Manaf Rabiu, former President of the Ghana Students Association in Hungary and alumnus of the same programme, who will share insights on student leadership, international collaboration and youth development.
They will be joined by Daniel Taylor of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK Ghana), who will speak on technical and vocational training and industry–university linkages; Dr. Hangwei Li, Senior Researcher at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), who will offer perspectives on emerging opportunities from China-Africa relationship; and Elizabeth Dansoa Osei, an Oxford alumna and public policy advocate based in the United Kingdom.
According to the organisers, the forum responds to the growing number of Ghanaian students pursuing education abroad and the need to create structured pathways through which their knowledge, research, innovation and international exposure can contribute to Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.
“Ghana’s diaspora represents one of the country’s most educated, mobile and networkedconstituencies, yet the national conversation about its contribution has too often been reduced to remittance figures. The GDSF is designed to shift that framing. By bringing students, alumni,government, industry, research institutions and civil society into a single room, the forum treatsthe diaspora not as a resource to be tapped but as a partner in shaping national outcomes.” Simeon Mede, NUGS-Germany General Secretary
Beyond discussions, participants are expected to develop practical recommendations through a GDSF Communiqué that will outline actionable proposals for policymakers, educational institutions, student associations and development partners. The organisers also hope the initiative will strengthen collaboration among Ghanaian student unions across the world and establish the Ghana Diaspora Students Forum as an annual platform for engagement and policy dialogue.
The virtual forum is expected to attract Ghanaian undergraduate and postgraduate students, doctoral researchers, recent graduates, academics, development practitioners and professionals from Germany, the United Kingdom, China and other parts of the world.
With Ghana increasingly looking to leverage the knowledge and expertise of its global diaspora, organisers believe the forum will mark an important step towards building stronger connections between Ghanaian students abroad and national development efforts.
About the Ghana Diaspora Students Forum (GDSF)
The Ghana Diaspora Students Forum (GDSF) is a non-partisan, student-centred and development-oriented initiative convened by NUGS Germany in collaboration with NUGS UK and NUGS China. The forum provides a platform for Ghanaian students across the globe to exchange ideas, explore opportunities, strengthen partnerships and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s development through knowledge sharing, innovation and responsible leadership.
