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Nine Ghanaian journalists have received training in science, technology and innovation (STI) reporting at the Imperial College in London, with a call on the media to prioritise science communication to help shape the world and address emerging global challenges.
The journalists were from the Daily Graphic, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Joy News, TV3, Citi FM / Channel One TV and Bullet TV.
They were selected as part of the media capacity-building component of the UK–Ghana STI Strategy (2023–2028) and aimed to improve science storytelling and bridge the gap between complex research and public understanding of the issues.
After an intensive one-week of training in Accra involving 25 journalists, the nine whose story pitches were selected travelled to the esteemed Imperial College in London to sharpen their STI reporting skills.
While at the Imperial College, the journalists explored how digital diagnostic tools were being built specifically for the African context; gene drive technology at the Target Malaria labs to advance the fight against malaria, and DIGIBAT, the UK's first self-driving lab for energy research and sustainable energy solutions.
The scientists and experts at Imperial College also took the journalists through cutting-edge AI-driven pharmaceutical discoveries, cybersecurity in healthcare, as well as climate change innovations within the African context.
The journalists also met with the President of Imperial College, Professor Hugh Brady, who shared how the institution was leading the charge to make science and technology more accessible.
The team also visited the Frontier Tech Hub and the Science Media Centre, where they learned the science of storytelling, focusing on how to bridge the gap between complex data and public understanding.
In his engagement with the journalists, Prof. Brady said science communication was critical to shaping the world and required journalists to acquire more knowledge in that field to be on top of their craft.
He added that addressing the challenges confronting the world required multi-dimensional research and enhanced collaborations between scientists and journalists.
He stressed that the emerging problems of the world, including climate change, could be solved through transnational collaboration.
In that regard, he stressed that "universities must not work vertically but rather collaborate across the globe for their research works to make the desired impact on human societies."
Relatedly, he said universities must focus on producing students who would be innovative and highly skilled to make innovations impactful.
Again, Prof. Brady emphasised the need for countries across the world to invest in research and innovation to be able to address challenges confronting the world, particularly climate change and other health conditions.
During a visit to Ghana’s High Commission in the UK, the Deputy Head of Missions, Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, described the UK-Ghana STI initiative as a bold step towards leveraging the potential of science for development.
Mr Quansah urged the journalists who embarked on the study tour of the UK to ensure that the knowledge they had acquired would be put to good use for the benefit of the country.
Responding to a question on the state of affairs of Ghanaian students on government scholarships in universities in the UK, the Deputy Head of Missions said there were arrears of over €32 million to be paid, dating back to 2020.
He said Ghana's failure to settle the arrears had led to the suspension of new scholarship awards to the UK since 2025, while some UK universities were unwilling to admit new government-sponsored students.
Mr Quansah said the government was doing everything possible to resolve the backlog as a matter of priority to ensure that students could continue their education without interruption.
"We are doing what we can as a commission to get money to clear those debts, and I think you know about how much we owe the schools.
I mean, it is like the whole ministry's budget. You know, 32 million pounds is a lot of money, but we are trying just to make sure we clear those debts," he said.
