Media • Communication • Culture • Social Change
Prof. Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah is an Associate Professor of Media and Communications whose work connects journalism, digital media, culture and ethics with the realities of African communities.
Associate Professor
University of Professional Studies, Accra
“Scholarship is most valuable when it leaves the page and meets people where they are.”
Research with public purposeSelected research & impact
Her research examines the forces reshaping communication in Africa—from artificial intelligence and digital media to political discourse, health communication and gender.
UKRI • CUSP Network+
As co-investigator, Prof. Amankwah helped lead research in Kusaal-speaking communities in Ghana’s Upper East Region—working with women and girls to address child marriage and gender-based violence through culturally grounded forms of communication.
Visit the CUSP project ↗Exploring how emerging technologies reshape newsroom practice, public discourse and audience engagement across Africa.
Studying elections, digital platforms and the evolving relationship between citizens, political actors and media institutions.
Contributing African perspectives to global inquiry on journalism, resilience and communication during periods of disruption.
Beyond the page
Collaborative research, community engagement and opportunities for the next generation of communicators.
Industry engagement • 2024
At UPSA's Public Relations and Communications Conference, she called for internship and mentorship partnerships to help students put their learning into practice.
Read the UPSA story ↗Photography: UPSA
Academic resources • 2021
As acting Head of Department, she led the handover of books donated by the Media Foundation for West Africa to the UPSA Library, supporting students' learning and research.
Read the UPSA story ↗Photography: UPSAInternational research collaboration
Working with an international research network on journalism during crisis, with a contribution on the methodological challenges of researching journalism in sub-Saharan Africa during a global health emergency.
Teaching & community engagement
Through undergraduate and postgraduate coursework, she administers community enhancement projects supporting children and marginalised adults in underserved communities and institutions.
Advisory service • 2020–2022
Served on the Project Advisory Committee for the USAID-sponsored Justice Sector System Activity, bringing her experience in communication and public life to advisory service.
Selected scholarship
Published across international journals and scholarly books, with a consistent focus on communication as a force for understanding, accountability and change.
Research • Speaking • Collaboration