On September 16, 2025, the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), welcomed two professors – Stuart Hodkinson and Paul Chatterton, both from the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom (UK).
The professors paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, and members of Management. Welcoming them to UniMAC, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, expressed profound thoughts on their area of study and discussed how geographical studies can help the âgalamseyâ menace in Ghana, in the area of framing communication narratives to influence societal change.
The brief ceremony was attended by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Winston Abroampa, the Director of Global Education and Collaborations, Dr. Lawrencia Agyepong, the Director of Public Affairs, Ms. Nana Efua Rockson, the Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Liberal Studies (FoCaLS), Dr. Daniel Odoom, the Director of General Administration and General Services, Dr. Obaapanin Oforiwaa Adu and the Assistant Registrar of FoCaLS, Ms. Mary Anum. Members at the ceremony expressed appreciation and collegiality towards the professors.
Dr. Obaapanin Oforiwaa Adu, who facilitated the visit of the professors to UniMAC, highlighted her longstanding collaboration with sister universities in the UK, including the University of Edinburgh, the London School of Economics, and the University of Leeds, as well as with Sankofakuumba Pararcop, a non-governmental organisation committed to promoting the relevance of indigenous practices in bridging the gap between academia and community. With her recent appointment at UniMAC, she thought it apt to bring the collaboration home to UniMAC, so opportunities can be explored for mutual benefits.
Dr. Adu paid glowing tribute to Mr. Kofi Mawuli Klu of the Sankofakuumba Pararcop who has dedicated time to advocate and promote the virtues of Sankofa globally, culminating in this collaboration with the University of Leeds. Mr. Klu traveled with the two professors from the United Kingdom to Ghana. Ms. Eyula Rachael Akosua Ofosua, the local representative of Sankofakuumba Pararcop here in Ghana, was also present at the meeting.
After the brief welcome ceremony, gifts were exchanged. The two professors gifted UniMAC with their authored books. The Vice-Chancellor also adorned the two professors with Kente stoles to symbolize their acceptance into the UniMAC family, as it was their first time in Ghana and UniMAC, and to forge ahead stronger partnerships.
The professors were then led to meet faculty and students for a blended public lecture on the theme: âCommunicating the Real World: Truth-Telling About the Problems and Solutions of Planet Repairs.â The session provided a platform for students, academics and civic actors to engage deeply with urgent global challenges such as climate change, housing justice, inequality and the search for sustainable futures.
In his opening remarks to the Lecture, Dr Daniel Odoom, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Liberal Studies (FoCaLS) at UniMAC, welcomed the visiting professors from the University of Leeds and all guests. He emphasised the timeliness of the theme, noting that it would be very effective in helping communicators and academics tackle matters of illegal mining and planet repairs in the Ghanaian context.
Dr. Adu, also formally introduced the guest speakers, Professor Paul Chatterton and Associate Professor Stuart Hodkinson. She not only read their profiles but also contextualized their long-standing research and activism.
Prof. Stuart Hodkinson began the lecture by underscoring the reality of todayâs poly crisis. He emphasised that the world no longer faces isolated problems, but interconnected crises in climate, housing, biodiversity loss, inequality and governance. Citing the housing crisis in the UK as an example, he affirmed that teaching and research must start with systemic thinking and lead to practical, solution-focused action. âWe must recognise the racialise inequalities fundamentally rooted in ongoing colonial legacies that persist in our housing systemsâ, he said.
Prof. Hodkinson also urged educational institutions like UniMAC, to leverage their classrooms, research capacity, and partnerships, which he referred to as an âimmense privilegeâ to drive progressive social change instead of reproducing the status quo, âWe have an immense privilege as educators, and we must use that classroom experience to change society, not just to maintain it.â
Professor Paul Chatterton followed right after Prof. Hodkinson, with a highlight on the staggering global imbalance in responsibility for carbon emissions. He stated that the wealthiest 10% of the world are responsible for half of all carbon waste; yet poorer nations suffer the worst effects. This imbalance, he argued, calls for reparatory justice, âWe must build global networks of solidarity and repair to connect universities, communities, and activists in both the Global North and the Global South.â
Prof. Chatterton further pointed to practical opportunities for collaboration with UniMAC, noting that students and activists could work jointly with the University of Leeds on projects such as tackling e-waste from Europe dumped in Ghana and using circular economy models to turn environmental burdens into sustainable solutions.
In answering questions from the audience both physically present and on online, both professors urged UniMAC to take its place in the global effort of âplanetary repairâ through collaborative, action-oriented research that bridges the gap between academia and community.
In her reflections at the end of the lecture, Dr. Adu applauded the visiting professors and UniMAC for taking the initiative to convene the lecture: âWe must be proud that UniMAC has taken the lead to bring the community closer to academia through this lecture.â
To close the session, Dr. Lawrencia Agyepong described the session as a âgreat learning momentâ with direct application to Ghanaâs fight against illegal mining. She stressed that research must go beyond the shelves of academia, âWe need to look at real community impact research that can change our communities and nation.â
This lecture affirms UniMACâs growing role as a hub for critical conversations about the evolving role of communications in education, and social change. By engaging with global partners like the University of Leeds, UniMAC is not only equipping its students with knowledge but also positioning itself at the forefront of co-producing solutions that respond to Ghanaâs local challenges while contributing to global justice.