Emmanuel K. Akyeampong

Emmanuel K. Akyeampong is the Ellen Gurney Professor of History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, with affiliations to the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the Hutchins Center. He earned his Ph.D. in African History from the University of Virginia (1993), MA in English Labor History from Wake Forest University (1989), and BA in History and Religions from the University of Ghana at Legon (1984).

• Education
  • Ph.D., African History, University of Virginia (1993)
  • M.A., English Labor History, Wake Forest University (1989)
  • B.A., History and Religions, University of Ghana at Legon (1984)

His research spans African history, eco-social dynamics, cultural change, and post-colonial nation-building. He has edited major works including Themes in West Africa's History and co-edited the Dictionary of African Biography, focusing on Ghanaian societal structures and transnational African narratives. Recent projects like Independent Africa analyze leadership and governance in the post-independence era.

Scientific Awards and Recognitions:

• Zora Neale Hurston Fellow (Northwestern University, 1993-1994)
• Corresponding Fellow, Royal Historical Society (UK, 2002)
• Fellow, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (FGA)
• Honorary Doctor of Laws (University of Ghana, 2018)
• Loeb Harvard College Professor (2005)

As Oppenheimer Faculty Director of Harvard's Center for African Studies and former chair of the Committee on African Studies, he co-founded the International Institute for Advanced Study of Cultures, Institutions and Economic Enterprise (IIAS) in Accra. He also leads the African Public Broadcasting Foundation, promoting development-oriented media.