Nana Aba Appiah Amfo (born 30 September 1971) is a Ghanaian

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

, university administrator and the current

Vice-chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

. Until her appointment, she was the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academics and Students Affairs at the

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

Early life and education

Born in

Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...

, Nana Aba Appiah Amfo had her early education at University Primary School (KNUST Basic School), Services Primary School at Takoradi and Goldfields School Complex in Tarkwa. Amfo attended Holy Child School for her O’ Level education and later attended Archbishop Porter Girls’ Secondary School for her A’ Level. She proceeded to the

for a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and

Linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

. She completed the

Norwegian University of Science and Technology Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

in 2001 with an MPhil degree in Linguistics and acquired a PhD degree in 2007 from the same university in Linguistics.

Career

Amfo began her career as a lecturer at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Ghana in 2001. After leaving to pursue further studies in Norway, she returned to Ghana and continued lecturing at the University of Ghana. She was promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in 2007, the same year she obtained her PhD. She became an associate professor in 2011, and Professor in 2017. She was elected an executive committee member of Fédération Internationale des Langues et Littératures Modernes. Nana Aba Amfo served as the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Ghana from November 2019 to July 2021. In July 2021, she was appointed as the Acting Vice Chancellor. She received professional management training from the University of Applied Sciences, Germany, INSEAD and

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

. She has served as the Chairperson of the Department of Linguistics (2013–14) and the Dean of the School of Languages. Amfo serves on the advisory board of Coalition of People Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH) under the auspices of the

UNFPA The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies ...

Memberships and fellowships

* Member, Society of Communication, Medicine and Ethics * International Pragmatics Association (first African to be a Consultation Board member in Association's history) * West African Linguistics Society * Linguistics Association of Ghana (President, 2010–2014) * Foundation Fellow, African Humanities Program of the American Council of Learned Societies * Fellow,

German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service, or DAAD (german: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), was founded in 1925 and is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation. Organisation ''DAAD'' is a ...

(DAAD) * Commonwealth Professional.

Research

Amfo's research interests has been mainly about linguistic sub-discipline of Pragmatics.

Personal life

Together with her husband, Frank Amfo, they have three children, Yoofi, Maame Araba and Efua Benyiwa.

References

1971 births Living people University of Ghana alumni Vice-Chancellors of universities in Ghana Ghanaian women academics Women academic administrators Norwegian University of Science and Technology alumni Alumni of Holy Child High School, Ghana Archbishop Porter Girls' Senior High School alumni Fante people {{Ghana-bio-stub