The third annual capacity-building workshop led by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Research Chair on Forced Displacement in Anglophone West Africa has equipped PhD students and early-career researchers with skills in migration and forced displacement research, academic writing and policy engagement.
Held from 14 to 15 May 2026 at the Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), University of Ghana, the workshop brought together 20 PhD students and early-career researchers for two days of training, research presentations and mentoring.
The workshop was organised in close partnership with the African Centre for the Study and Research on Migration (ACSRM) and the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Migration and Health at Uppsala University.
Led by Prof. Mary Boatemaa Setrana, Director of CMS and IDRC Research Chair on Forced Displacement in Anglophone West Africa, the workshop formed part of a continuing series of capacity-building activities supporting emerging researchers working on migration and forced displacement.
The sessions covered migration theories and methodologies, with particular attention to forced displacement, the psychology of migration and the migration and health nexus. Participants examined established approaches to migration research and discussed their relevance, limitations and application within African contexts.
The programme also focused on research communication and publication. Participants received training in drafting peer-reviewed journal articles, policy briefs and working papers and worked in groups to develop and present draft outlines for review.
PhD students and early-career researchers also presented aspects of their ongoing research and received feedback during dedicated mentoring sessions. Discussions focused on doctoral dissertations, research design and the development of scholarly and policy-oriented outputs.
The training built on an earlier workshop held in 2025, during which participants submitted abstracts for prospective research outputs. The latest workshop provided an opportunity to further develop those research ideas and work towards publication.
Facilitators included Ibrahima Amadou Dia, Director of ACSRM; Prof. Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil, Co-Lead of CoRE and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Migration and Health Data and Evidence at Uppsala University; Prof. Teye-Kwadjo of the University of Ghana; and Prof. Mary Setrana.
The workshop concluded with an evaluation of the programme and discussions on next steps for participants’ research, dissertations and publication activities.
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