Sino-Ghana Research Center for West Africa Launched at HUAT
Inauguration of the Sino-Ghana Research Center (SGRC-WA) for West Africa Held at HUAT, Shiyan City, China on November 14, 2024. The SGRC-WA celebrated its inaugural ceremony at the Hubei University of Automotive Technology (HUAT) during a conference titled "Area Studies and Foreign Language Discipline Shift." This event was organized by the School of Foreign Studies and Trade and the SGRC-WA and co-hosted by HUAT's Institute of Science and Technology Development, the International Cooperation and Exchange Office (ICEO), the Graduate School, the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, and the Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
Dean of International Programs (IPO-KNUST, Ghana), Prof. DUAH Daniel Yaw Addai (L) and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee (HUAT, China), Prof. LI Tao (R)
Re-Published: Mar 2025 
Source: (SGRC-WA Relations Office)
The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished individuals, including Prof. LI Tao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee at HUAT, and Prof. DUAH Daniel Yaw Addai, Dean of the International Programs Office (IPO) and Co-Director of the Confucius Institute at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. Prof. YANG Ronguang, Dean of the School of Foreign Studies and Trade, moderated the unveiling of the research center.
Adding to the occasion's significance, His Excellency TONG Defa, the Chinese Ambassador to the People's Republic of Ghana, delivered a congratulatory message via a virtual platform, commending the establishment of the SGRC-WA and emphasizing its role in strengthening academic and cultural ties between China and West Africa.
The event featured insightful keynote addresses from renowned scholars in the field. Prof. LIU Hongwu from Zhejiang Normal University (ZJNU) delivered a presentation titled "The Innovative Establishment of Area Studies and the Shift Dynamics in Foreign Language Disciplines: A Case Study of Exploratory Practice in ZJNU." Other speakers included Prof. CAI Shengqin, who presented on "Reflection on the Interdisciplinary Study of South African Literature and the Rule of Law Issues in South Africa," and Prof. CAO Ruonan, who shared insights on "Reflections on the Dynamics of Integration of Foreign Language Disciplines into Area Studies: Actions and Provisions of the School of Foreign Languages of Northwestern University."
Directorate and Conference Room for the Sino-Ghana Research Center for West Africa (SGRC-WA)
Further contributions came from Prof. CEN Haibing, who discussed "The Path and Exploration of Area Studies in Local Universities," and Dr. GBOLOGAH Lemuel, Director of the SGRC-WA, who introduced the research center with his speech titled "A New Horizon for Collaborative Research: Introducing the Sino-Ghana Research Center for West Africa."
The keynote speeches were moderated by esteemed academics, including SONG Ren, Dean of the Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hubei University; ZHU Dongjiang, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Hanjiang Normal University; FU Jue, Head of the Foreign Language Department at Hubei University of Medicine; and WANG Chenhui, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Studies and Trade at HUAT.
The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from ZHAI Quanwei, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Studies and Trade at HUAT, emphasizing the importance of collaborative research and interdisciplinary studies in fostering a deeper understanding between China and West Africa.
Establishing the SGRC-WA represents a significant milestone in Sino-Ghana academic collaboration, paving the way for new avenues of research, education, and cultural exchange between China and West African nations.
