Empowering youth skill building and Excellence in Agrifood systems

Deadline: 6th July, 2025, 11:45pm

Introduction
The UG Nkabom Honors Program is designed to challenge and support high-achieving undergraduate and master’s students in their pursuit of academic excellence, innovative thinking, and community engagement for excellence in Agrifood systems in Ghana. Our mission is to foster a community of scholars who embody the values of intellectual curiosity, creativity, social responsibility, and innovation.
 

Program Objectives

1. Academic Excellence: Provide a rigorous and stimulating academic environment that encourages students to excel in their chosen fields while applying those competencies to agrifood systems.
2. Interdisciplinary Learning: Foster interdisciplinary approaches to learning, encouraging students to explore connections between different fields of study.
3. Research and Creative Inquiry: Support students in their pursuit of research and creative projects, and providing opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.
4. Community Engagement: Encourage students to engage with their communities, and applying their knowledge and skills to address real-world problems.
5. Leadership Development: Develop leadership skills and competencies, empowering students to become active contributors to their fields and communities. Ultimately, we want students to become ‘doers’ and ‘achievers’, not merely ‘knowers’

Program Structure

1. Core Curriculum: A set of interdisciplinary courses that provide a foundation in critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and communication.
2. Research and Creative Inquiry: Opportunities for students to engage in research and creative projects, working closely with faculty mentors.
3. Community Engagement: Service-learning opportunities, internships, and community-based projects that apply academic knowledge to real-world problems.
4. Mentorship: Faculty mentors provide guidance and support, helping students navigate their academic and professional paths.
5. Cohort Model: A close-knit community of students who progress through the program together, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.
6. Life-long learning: Creating opportunities for continuous learning to solve problems.

Proposed Program duration

• The duration of the honors program will range from six months to one year.
• A minimum of three (3) students per cohort

Program Benefits

1. Dedicated Funding: Access to resources for research and creative projects, supporting students in their academic pursuits.
2. Faculty Mentorship: Close relationships with faculty mentors, providing guidance and support.
3. Community: A supportive community of peers who share similar interests and goals.
4. Recognition: Recognition of academic achievement and community engagement, enhancing students' resumes and graduate school applications.

Program Outcomes

1. Academic Excellence: Students will demonstrate academic excellence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
2. Research and Creative Inquiry: Students will develop research and creative skills, applying them to real-world problems.
3. Community Engagement: Students will engage with their communities, applying their knowledge and skills to address social and environmental challenges.
4. Leadership Development: Students will develop leadership skills and competencies, empowering them to become active contributors to their fields and communities.
5. pipeline for generating interest to participate in Nkabom innovation activities.

By providing a challenging and supportive environment, the University of Ghana Nkabom Honors Program will empower high-achieving undergraduate and master’s students to excel academically, creatively, and professionally.

Admission Requirements

1. GPA: A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required
2. Student should be in level 300 or higher for undergraduates, and final year for master’s students.
3. Application: A comprehensive application, including essays, letters of recommendation, and transcripts.
4. Interviews: Interviews with program faculty or staff, assessing students' fit with the program.

Required skills and background of participants

• Story telling /Theatre Arts
• Statistics/Data analysis
• Media Arts (Videography and photography, photoshop, digital editing, etc)
• Programming/Web development (web-based applications)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine learning
• Agrifood systems (including food production, marketing/trade, preservation, value addition, etc)
• Nutrition and Diets
• Scientific writing/ journalism, information studies
• Qualitative and Quantitative data collection/analysis
• Business management
• Marketing
• Entrepreneurship/innovation
• Environmental stewardship

Application Process

Applications should be accessed using your University of Ghana student email address. Submit your application online by completing this Honors Application Form and upload a single PDF file containing the following:

• CV
• Personal statement (1-2 pages and maximum 600 words) highlighting your accomplishments, goals and commitment to community service.
• Admission letter from University of Ghana
• Academic certificates and/or transcripts for your masters / bachelor’s degree
• Reference letter (One Academic)

Kindly name the file as “Last name_First name_NKABOMHONORS2025”. For example, Opoku_John_NKABOMHONORS2025. It is advisable to work on getting all your documents before you start the application. Once all your documents are available, you should be able to complete the application process in 8 minutes.