Dr. Sarpong Hammond Antwi, an esteemed University for Development Studies alumnus, has been awarded the prestigious Irish Research Council Government’s Postdoctoral Fellowship. He is the only African to have received the award this year, for his outstanding contributions to the field of Environmental Studies, from the Dundalk Institute of Technology, along with two others, Dr. Suzanne Linnane and Caroline Gileran Stephens from Europe.

His academic journey began at UDS, where he pursued his undergraduate studies in Integrated Community Development and graduated in 2016. He was also a Teaching Assistant at the Wa Campus of the University. His passion for understanding and mitigating environmental challenges led him to excel in his coursework and laid the foundation for his future research endeavours.

In addition to his postgraduate programme in Energy Policy at the Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), funded under the Higher Education Authority’s Landscape Programme Dr. Sarpong holds a PhD from the same institution.

In his postdoctoral work, Dr Sarpong will continue to investigate how practices applied by institutions and agencies in the water sector in Ireland can engage with each other to promote the transition towards a sustainable water future for Ireland.

Sarpong's contribution to the field of Environmental Science is enormous and goes beyond his research works. He has actively engaged in Institutional and community services including volunteering for DkIT’s school’s outreach programmes and as a Rapporteur for COP27. His commitment to advocacy and community engagement has earned him recognition both within and outside the academic community.

Story by:
Tahiru Abdulai Alhassan
(UDS Media)