Political Scientist and Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ghana Dr. Michael Kpessa-Whyte has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor by the University.The astute academic and stalwart of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with expertise in Comparative Public Policy and Political Institutions, joined the Institute of African Studies(IAS) in 2011.

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 He had previously served as Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Jonson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Dr Kpessa-Whyte has brought his expertise to bare both in impacting his students and advising Government.

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He served as Policy Advisor to former President John Mahama, and Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, where he initiated several reforms.Education Dr Kpessa-Whyte holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana (2001); Master of Arts, Political Science (International Relations), Department of Political Science, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada(2005); and a Ph.D.

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in Political Science (Comparative Public Policy), Department of Political Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada(2009).

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 His research interests are in but not limited to Social Policy and Socio-economic Transformation in Africa; Aging and Retirement Income Security (Pension) Policies in Africa; Politics of Early Post-Colonial Africa; Public Policy and Democratization in Africa; The Politics of Development Policy Decisions in Africa; Theories of African Development Institutional Theory in the Context of Informality African Political Thought &

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Pan-Africanism.

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