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Augustine Larweh Mahu is a distinguished physicist specializing in quantum physics and gauge/gravity duality. He began his academic journey at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), earning a Master’s degree in Mathematics with a focus on Quantum Physics and Cosmology in 2010. During this period, he participated in CERN’s Non-Member State Summer Student Programme, working on the detection of W bosons using data from the ATLAS detector, which fueled his passion for particle physics.
In 2012, after completing his Master’s thesis, Larweh joined the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS Ghana) as a Teaching Assistant, contributing to the establishment of its postgraduate program. Inspired by Prof. Robert de Mello Koch, Larweh pursued a PhD in Theoretical Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, concentrating on gauge/gravity duality. His academic excellence earned him the prestigious Postgraduate Merit Award and a bursary from South Africa’s National Research Foundation.
After receiving his PhD in 2018, Larweh returned to Ghana, joining the University of Ghana’s Department of Mathematics as a Lecturer. He has been instrumental in modernizing the department’s offerings and engaging the public on the importance of advanced physics. He secured a highly competitive $8,400 research grant from The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and has mentored students in high-energy physics, despite challenges in securing sustained funding for research.
From 2019 to 2022, Larweh held a Visiting Research position at the University of the Witwatersrand, where his work explored the dynamics of heavy operators in black hole physics through gauge/gravity duality. His dedication to advancing quantum physics in Ghana, coupled with his commitment to building a robust research community, continues to inspire the next generation of physicists. Despite challenges, Larweh remains at the forefront of quantum research, pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery.
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Recent advancements in gauge theory/gravity dualities are shedding light on black hole microstates, particularly through large-N gauge theories. Early successes in this area reproduced the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy for specific supersymmetric black holes, inspiring numerous extensions. However, meaningful insights into black hole entropy were mostly limited to index computations for 1/16-BPS black holes, which overlook the critical dynamics of strongly coupled gauge theories.
Recent work, especially with 1/16-BPS black holes in AdS5×S5, has reframed the task of counting black hole microstates using supercharge cohomology, which encompasses the full spectrum of BPS operators. This method provides much richer information than index-based approaches. A key development is the classification of BPS operators into “monotone” and “fortuitous” categories. Monotone operators scale with the gauge group rank N, while fortuitous operators exist only within certain ranks.
While the large-N expansion of Yang-Mills theories, as established by ’t Hooft, has been extensively explored in planar limits—especially in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory—this approach is inadequate for understanding black hole microstates. The planar limit fails to capture the complexity of finite-N trace relations and the intricate multi-trace structures needed for non-planar regimes, which are crucial for black hole analysis.
A promising approach to studying these microstates is to incorporate representation theory of the symmetric group. By using restricted Schur polynomials, this method has been applied in many papers to compute anomalous dimensions of subsectors in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory beyond the planar limit, with the goal of extending it to heavy operators related to 1/16-BPS black holes in AdS5×S5.
Awards and Honours
Engr. Prof. Amevi Acakpovi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Accra Technical University, brings a wealth of leadership and academic expertise that aligns seamlessly with the mission of ESDEV Foundation Africa. As a Professor in the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Department, Prof. Acakpovi has consistently demonstrated his commitment to advancing education and innovation, making him an invaluable asset to initiatives focused on driving sustainable development through technology and education. With a background that includes a Bachelor’s degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering, a Master’s in Electrical Engineering, and a PhD in Energy Systems Engineering, his research spans critical areas such as Hybrid Energy Systems (HES), smart grid modeling, and metaheuristic optimization techniques, which are pivotal in addressing Africa’s energy and technological challenges.
Prof. Acakpovi’s proven track record in securing high-impact grants, including a USD 3.3 million project for an Energy Service Centre, and his leadership in accreditation and educational program development, position him as a key advocate for ESDEV’s vision of transforming education and fostering innovation. His role in supervising over 50 MSc theses and mentoring PhD candidates reflects his commitment to capacity building, an essential component of ESDEV’s objectives. Moreover, his active participation in international bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) enhances his ability to drive collaborations that will elevate ESDEV’s impact across Africa. Prof. Acakpovi’s blend of academic excellence, leadership, and a deep commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators makes him a powerful ally in advancing ESDEV Foundation Africa’s mission.
Ms. Susan A. Kuffour is a results-oriented Ghanaian business developer, marketer, and administrator with over 8 years of experience in business development and general management. She is dedicated to project monitoring and excels at empowering colleagues and teams to solve problems effectively.
Ms. Kuffour holds a BSc in Metal Product Design from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, with extensive experience in project management and business development. She is adept at engaging with donor partners, global funds, embassies, and grant bodies to secure funding in support of government policies, particularly in the education sector.
Her professional interests include school management and administration. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and supporting schools, she has been instrumental in improving early childhood literacy skills. Ms. Kuffour is passionate about adopting creative methods to assist children with special learning needs, driven by her extensive research and dedication to education.
Currently, she serves as a Development Consultant with the Funds and Procurement Management Unit at the Ministry of Education. In this role, her primary responsibility is to identify and secure alternative funding sources to support education projects.
Ms. Kuffour’s strength lies in her unwavering commitment to education, with a focus on enhancing teaching and learning environments to improve educational outcomes.
Prof. Ernest Christian Winful, PhD, is a distinguished researcher with over 20 years of experience in high-quality teaching and research both in Ghana and abroad. He is a Certified Research Fellow of the Institute of Certified Economists of Ghana and has been a Member of the Institute of Directors, Ghana, since 2011.
Prof. Winful’s scholarly contributions include numerous published articles and conference presentations in the fields of Financial Economics, Social Entrepreneurship, and Environmental Economics. His extensive service on various boards and committees includes his current roles as a member of the standing committee of Social Enterprise Ghana and Special Project Officer for the Informal Economy Workers’ Forum Ghana. Additionally, he leads the Regional Innovation for African Universities (IAU) Community of Practice (CoP) for Impacts and serves as the Country Lead for Ghana on the IAU CoP Leadership Council, British Council. He is also an Associate Partner at ESDEV Foundation Africa.
Throughout his career, Prof. Winful has held multiple significant administrative positions, enhancing his expertise in both academia and industry. His roles at Accra Technical University (ATU) include Dean of the Faculty of Business, Head of the Department of Accounting and Finance, Head of the Department of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, and, most recently, Dean of International Programs and Institutional Cooperation from 2018 to 2024. He was instrumental in organizing blockchain sensitization seminars and workshops in 2018 and 2019 at ATU, in collaboration with international partners, driven by his belief in the fourth industrial revolution as a pathway to job and wealthcreation.
Prof. Winful’s excellence extends to securing both national and international grants, demonstrating his ability to collaborate effectively with diverse groups to achieve impactful results. His lifelong ambition is to inspire others to succeed and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Engr. Prof. Humphrey Danso is a highly motivated individual with Sustainable Construction, Competency-Based Training (CBT), and TVET Education background. He is a Professor, a Consultant and a Researcher in Sustainable Construction Materials, Construction Management, and TVE Education. He is currently the Dean of School of Graduate Studies of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi-Ghana. He was the former Dean of the Faculty of Technology Education, and Head of Department of the Construction and Wood Technology Education. He has twenty-seven (27) years of working experience in both pre-tertiary and tertiary education in Ghana, Russia, the United Kingdom and Australia.
He is a holder of PhD (Civil Engineering) from the University of Portsmouth, UK, MPhil (Civil Engineering) from the Voronezh University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Russia; MTech (Competency-Based Training) from the University of Education, Ghana; and B.Ed. (Construction Technology) from the University of Education, Ghana. He is also a holder of MSc. in Strategic Management and Leadership from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Ghana.
Engr. Prof. Danso possesses excellent communication and writing skills, interpretation and analytic skills, and fluent in written and oral English. This is evident in his over Ninety (90) international journal articles publication and international conference presentations.
He has consulted widely for the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, NUFFIC, National Teaching Councils (NTC), and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). Engr. Prof. Danso is a member of Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana; African Foundation for Quality e-Learning in TVET; International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures; Ghana Institute of Construction; International Building Performance Simulation Association; UK Higher Education Academy for Teaching and Learning; and International Association of Engineers.
Prof Gilbert Okeanonife Onwu is an Emeritus Professor of Chemical Education, Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria. With a background in Chemistry, Physics and Chemical Education, he holds a B.Sc degree from Goldsmiths College, the University of London, and MSc and PhD degrees from the School of Chemical Sciences, University of East Anglia.
With over 40 years of experience in academia, he has made significant contributions to the field of Chemical Education and Science Teacher Education. He is an elected member of the prestigious Academy of Science of South Africa and a Fellow of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria. His research has been published in several peer-reviewed reputable journals and he has been the recipient of several prestigious awards including the 2005 Chemical Education Gold Medal Award by the South African Chemical Institute, and Essayists for outstanding contributions to Chemical Education. Prof Onwu is also deeply committed to research, capacity building, and the skills development of emerging researchers and mentoring students having supervised numerous successful PhD candidates.
Currently, he is an Independent Expert Consultant and Facilitator in the Research Directorates of several universities in South Africa. He has acted as a consultant, expert, or lead researcher to several international organisations including the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), Commonwealth Education Programme London; the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, UNESCO, Africa-Asia University Dialogue Network (UNITWIN) and African Virtual University (AVU)) among other institutions. Outside of his academic pursuits, he enjoys reading and outdoor pursuits with family and friends.
Frederick Kwaku Sarfo is a Professor of Educational / Instructional Technology and the foundation Vice-Chancellor of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), Kumasi, Ghana.
He received his Ph.D. studies in Educational Sciences (Educational/lnstructional Technology) at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. He joined the University of Education Winneba, in 1999 and rose through the ranks, to a full Professor in 2017. Under his leadership as Principal of the College of Technology Education, Kumasi (COLTEK) of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof. Sarfo facilitated the upgrade and autonomy of the Kumasi and Asante Mampong Campuses of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) to a full-fledged University – the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED).
Prof. Sarfo has contributed extensively to knowledge in his area of expertise with over fifty (50) publications to his credit. He has authored and co-authored five books and book chapters. In 2007, he won the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Best Researcher and Lecturer Award in the Sciences. He has attended, participated in, and presented papers at several international and national conferences. He is an editor and executive peer reviewer for several local and international journals as well as conference papers.
As an astute administrator who has occupied various positions in his illustrious life as a university staff, Prof. Sarfo is instrumental in sourcing funding to support academic and related activities of the University. Among Organisations Prof. Sarfo has engaged in and won funding for his university include; the European Commission, the GIZ’s Ghana Skills Development Initiative (GSDI), and the Lenus Palme Partnership Foundation.
Prof. Sarfo’s research interest is in integrating ICT into education, Instructional Design for learning in a difficult situation, Instructional Conceptions, and Designing Competency-based learning environments for developing technical and vocational expertise.
Ayesha Boyce is an Associate Professor in the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University. Her research career began with her earning a B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University, an M.A. in research Psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a program evaluation specialization from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she was a research associate for the Arizona Department of Education within the Accountability Division. After earning her Ph.D., she completed a one-year postdoctoral scholar position with the UIUC Illinois STEM Education Initiative. Boyce then joined the University of North Carolina, Greensboro’s Department of Educational Research Methodology from 2015 to 2021 as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Boyce is a member of the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment faculty affiliate and a Member-at-Large on the American Evaluation Association Board. She also co-directs the STEM Program Evaluation Lab. Boyce’s scholarship focuses on attending to value stances and issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, cultural responsiveness, and social justice within evaluation—especially multi-site, STEM, and contexts with historically and systematically marginalized populations. She also examines teaching, mentoring, and learning in evaluation. She has evaluated over 60 programs funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the Spencer and Teagle Foundations. She has been a Co-Principal Investigator on four NSF-funded projects.
Dr. Boyce is a 2019 American Evaluation Association Marcia Guttentag Promising New Evaluator Award recipient and a 2019 UNC Greensboro School of Education Distinguished Research Scholar Award recipient. In her teaching and mentorship, Boyce encourages students to develop a strong methodological foundation, conduct studies based on democratic principles, and promote equity, fairness, inclusivity, and diversity.
Prof Georg is a retired professor for Scientific Computing and Numerical Analysis at Brandenburg University of Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany. He completed his PhD in applied mathematics at the University of Heidelberg.
Prof. Bader’s research emphasizes the application of scientific research to impact economies. His application is in the field of mechanical engineering, mathematics and computer science. His main interests of research are: the Analysis and Development of discretization’s for ordinary and partial differential equations, efficient implementation and parallelization of numerical methods for differential equations.
Sampson Kofi Adotey is an accomplished development specialist with a proven track record in international affairs and development, managing and growing strategic partnerships, programmes, communications, and fundraising. He is a visionary leader and influential communicator, skilled at driving high-impact results and achieving strategic initiatives. Until recently, Sampson was the Head of the Communications Department at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the Institute’s global presence.
Sampson is an alumni of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, where he served in several capacities, including Community Champion for Anglophone West Africa (Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia) and Impact Officer, among others. He is a young leader of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, USA, serving on the Speaker Committee. He has represented the youth in Ghana and Africa at several international platforms, including meetings of the United Nations and World Economic Forum. Sampson contributes regularly to reputable outlets such as the World Economic Forum Agenda, OMICS Journal, and The New Times Rwanda. He holds a Bronze and Silver Medals from the Head of State Award- Ghana and the Duke of Edinburgh International Award for Young People.
Mr. Yaw Ofori Debra is a visually impaired Ghanaian disability rights activist, the 2nd Vice-President of the World Blind Union (WBU), and Chairman of the Ghana National Council for Persons with Disabilities.
He is a professional teacher with over 30 years’ experience. He is reputed for providing guidance and direction to teachers, students and parents to foster conducive and inclusive learning environments for higher academic performance. Through his counselling, hundreds of students who would have dropped out of school remained and continued to further their education. With his personal experience as a person with visual impairment, he has led the disability movement in Ghana in its advocacy for the passage and implementation of the Persons with Disability Act, 2016 (Act 715), ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, development of Ghana’s Social Protection Strategy and other relevant national policies and programmes.
Among the positions he has held in the past include the President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations – the umbrella body that advocates for the various disability groups in Ghana; President of the Ghana Blind Union, and Vice President of the Africa Union of the Blind. The United States Embassy in Ghana honoured him with the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice in 2018 for his activism and lifelong advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities.
Moulaye Camara is currently the Technical Director for Funding & Financial Systems at HUMENTUM. He has over 30 years of experience in the international development and humanitarian sectors in Africa and Asia. Moulaye is a highly analytical and results-focused corporate executive with a proven track record of efficiently overseeing and directing diverse organisational functions to drive business objectives and profitability. He is proficient in resource mobilisation and executing strategic operational frameworks to ensure on-time, within-budget program completion, Moulaye possesses exceptional interpersonal and communication capabilities, complemented with a demonstrated aptitude for cultivating enduring business partnerships with government entities and stakeholders.
Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah is the Executive Chair of Teacher Education in Sub Saharan Africa (TESSA), a programme that has produced free study units for improving classroom practice across thirteen different countries. He was the Director of School and Community Science and Technology Studies and now Director of the Institute for Educational Research and Innovation Studies at the University of Education. He is the Chairman of Open Learning Exchange, an organisation dedicated to improving the quality of learning in Ghanaian schools through the use of technology and especially, the creation of an open digital education library accessible online and offline. He was also the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and for nine years the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), the first university in Africa dedicated to teacher education. He has taught and researched in science education from kindergarten to the university level. He has contributed greatly to the development of open distance learning in Ghana and was the chair of the committee that produced a blueprint for an open university for Ghana.
Prof. Anamuah-Mensah established the Centre for School and Community Science and Technology Studies in 2000 and the Department of Early Childhood Care and Development in 2005 at UEW. He also set up the National Centre for Research into Basic Education to provide evidence-based information that addresses issues covering the 11 years of basic education, i.e., from kindergarten to junior high school. In 1996, he started a PhD program at the University of Cape Coast, which became the benchmark for similar programs in other areas. He is the chief architect of Ghana’s current educational reform, which introduced ECD into the formal curriculum and placed emphasis on science, technology, innovation and skill development.
In 2006, Prof. Anamuah-Mensah was given the Ghana’s second-highest award, the Order of the Volta by the President of Ghana. In 2010, he received an award from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs of Ghana for his dedication to the cause of Ghanaian children. In 2009, a book, Teaching and Education for Teaching in the Era of Globalisation in Developing Countries: Essays in Honour of Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah was written by colleagues in recognition of his work in education.
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