As a passionate advocate for open science, Felicia Nkrumah-Kuagbedzi has worked collaboratively with partners across academia and research institutions to advance equitable and sustainable models for scholarly communication. In my role at as the Coordinator for ICT, Communications and Knowledge Management at the Association of African Universities (a continental body with over 450 member universities), I have engaged in critical dialogues on open science and the need to rethink existing publication structures to ensure inclusivity, with a focus on the African context. A key area of this work involves championing citizen science approaches as a vital tool for democratizing research and addressing local challenges within African communities.
Felicia Nkrumah-Kuagbedzi holds a PhD in ICT Education with specialization in Cybersecurity from the prestigious World Bank-sponsored Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education (ACEITSE) at the Lagos State University in Nigeria. Her research focus is on investigating effective pedagogical approaches for ICT Education, with a particular emphasis on developing innovative and inclusive teaching methods, and promoting digital literacy. Her master¡¯s in Communications Studies and first degree (first class division) in Information Studies and Linguistics were both obtained from the University of Ghana.
As a seasoned professional with over 13 years of experience spanning higher education, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, Felicia has worked with continental and multinational institutions, including the Association of African Universities (AAU), Plan International Ghana, Ghana Manganese Company, and AngloGold Ashanti Limited.
Currently, she works at the Association of African Universities and plays varied roles, including serving as the Coordinator for ICT, Communications and Knowledge Management at the AAU, and the Project Officer for a Science Granting Council¡¯s Initiative project funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, which involves 17 countries across Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa. She also has experience serving as a Co-Investigator for a British Council Sponsored Gender Equality Partnerships Project, focused on "Addressing Female STEM Lecturers' Underrepresentation in Leadership in Technical Universities in Ghana."
She has been a member of several key groups and committees including serving on the International Expert Advisory Group on Digital Transformation, for the International Association of Universities (IAU), that developed the IAU digital transformation policy statement, 2022.