The Institute of African Studies was established in 1962 as a semi-autonomous institute within the University of Ghana and was opened in October 1962 by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

At the opening of the Institute, Dr Nkrumah gave a speech titled ‘The African Genius’. This historical speech clearly defined the core mandate of the Institute which is to teach and conduct research on Africa's peoples and cultural heritage. The speech also raised several critical issues that challenged Africans to liberate themselves from ideologies and cultures that disregarded African indigenous knowledge and cultures.

In attendance at the event were the Director of the Institute of African Studies, faculty members, research fellows, current and past officials, students and alumni of the Institute, the media, and members of the public. In his address, the Director of the Institute of African Studies, Professor Samuel Ntewusu said “It is important that we have gathered here on this special occasion to remind ourselves of our mandate as an institute given to us by Dr Kwame Nkrumah to promote African-centred approaches to teaching and learning. 60 years down the line, it is in order that we look back and celebrate our achievement and to deliberate on how to make things even better in the coming years”, said Professor Ntewusu.

Create Original Knowledge About Africa

In what way can Ghana make its own specific contribution to the advancement of knowledge about the peoples and culture of Africa through past history and contemporary problems? This is an important question posed by Dr Kwame Nkrumah in ‘The African Genius’.

Dr Nkrumah was concerned about the influence of colonial rule on Ghana’s education system which largely sidelined the culture of Ghana and Africa and emphasized the purpose of the IAS in helping to generate organic knowledge about Africa, her people, and culture. ‘‘…we have to recognize frankly that African studies, in the form in which they have been developed in the universities and centres of learning in the West, have been largely influenced by concepts of old style “colonial studies”, and still to some extent, remain under the shadow of colonial ideologies and mentality”, noted Dr Nkrumah.

Get All Africans Onboard

Another essential function of the IAS, according to Dr Kwame Nkrumah, is to study the history, culture and institutions, languages, and arts of Ghana and of Africa. He charged the Institute not to leave any African behind in this course saying “Your work must also include a study of the origins and cultures of peoples of African descent in the Americas and the Caribbean, and you should seek to maintain close relations with their scholars so that there may be cross fertilisation between Africa and those who have their roots in Africa’s past’’, said Dr Nkrumah.

African Genius Beyond Race

Aside from mobilizing African academics to ‘live the African Genius’, the Institute of African Studies also works with non-African academics since in Dr Nkrumah’s view, there is no barrier between Africans and non-Africans intellectually. However, he admits that the mental make-up of non-African scholars is “influenced by their system of education and the facts of their society and environment”. Therefore, to ensure an intellectually smooth collaboration between African and non-African scholars in the quest for knowledge creation, Dr Nkrumah advised non-Africans to “endeavour to adjust and re-orient their attitudes and thought to our African conditions and aspirations.” He added that they must try not to repeat the pattern of education they are used to but rather to be open-minded to embrace and take responsibility of the education and culture that are “essential for maintaining a progressive and dynamic African society.”

The Gown Must Go to Town

“The gown must go to town”. This is another important direction offered by Dr Nkrumah in his speech instructing graduates of the Institute of African Studies not to keep knowledge to themselves. Rather, he encouraged students to give back to society by sharing ideas and applying the knowledge and skills they obtain at the Institute to solve society’s problems. By doing so, Dr Nkrumah believed that the Institute of African Studies could help to make Ghana, and by extension, the continent of Africa, a better place for everyone.

IAS Faculty and Facilities

The Institute of African Studies is one of the oldest interdisciplinary institutes for studies on Africa. Its faculty draws from a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and spans six units including History and Politics, Language, Literature and Drama, Media and Visual Arts, Music and Dance Unit, Religions and Philosophy, and Societies and Cultures. Additionally, the Institute is endowed with several essential facilities of national and global relevance. They include the Library, Ghana Dance Ensemble (GDE), the Manhyia Archives, the J.H. Kwabena Nketia Conference Hall, the Museum, the Audiovisual Archives, and the Yiri Lodge.

The Institute of African Studies is committed to being a leading centre for the creation of African scholarship and knowledge dedicated to the regeneration of African societies.