The University for Development Studies (UDS) is proud to announce that Prof. Maxwell Nyatsikor, Associate Professor of Inclusive Education and Pedagogy, and Dr. Christian Evadzi, Lecturer in Guidance and Counselling, both of the Department of Educational Foundations Studies, are set to receive research funding of USD 45,400 each by the Jacobs Foundation.

This follows their selection into the highly competitive Jacobs Foundation’s Leverage Empower Advance Research Network (LEARN) Programme, where they were chosen among just 11 scholars from Ghana for the inaugural intake.

The two-year programme is designed to strengthen advanced research capacity in child development, longitudinal methods, and psychometrics through intensive seminars, workshops, and mentorship, while connecting participants to a global network of leading scholars.

As part of the programme, Prof. Nyatsikor and Dr. Evadzi will participate in the LEVANTE Conference to be held in Marbach, Germany, from June 3–5, 2026. The conference, organised under the LEVANTE global research network, will bring together emerging and established researchers to explore how children grow, learn, and develop across diverse cultural and social contexts.

A major highlight of the conference will be the collaborative development of innovative research proposals on the theme of “learning variability.” Working alongside international peers and experts, the UDS scholars will co-develop proposals grounded in the LEVANTE Child Development framework and the Jacobs Foundation Research Agenda. Their projects will then  be funded, with each scholar receiving USD 45,400 to advance their research.

This achievement not only reflects the academic excellence and research potential of Prof. Nyatsikor and Dr. Evadzi but also reinforces the University for Development Studies’ growing reputation as a centre for impactful research in education and human development. Their work is expected to contribute significantly to the global understanding of how learning varies across contexts and how educational systems can better respond to the diverse needs of learners.

The University community congratulates the two scholars on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to the impact of their research on education policy and practice, both in Ghana and beyond.