The Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) and the Ghana Scholarly Society (GSS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening collaboration between industry and academia. Formally signed on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the Jospong International Business office in Accra, the partnership creates a structured platform to leverage research and data in addressing complex business and development challenges across Ghana and the wider African continent.
Speaking on behalf of Jospong’s Executive Chairman and Board of Directors, Dr. Samanjith Udumalagala, Group Chief Operating Officer (Apex COO) and Executive Director, highlighted human capital as a strategic priority for the Group’s expanding operations. Operating in 29 countries through more than 82 subsidiaries and employing roughly 10,000 people, JGC views education, emerging technologies, and intellectual empowerment as vital investments to maintain a competitive edge in global markets.
Dr. Udumalagala disclosed that Jospong Group has already sponsored over 200 PhD and doctoral scholarships worldwide, with many beneficiaries now holding key leadership roles within the organization. He emphasized that the success of this new MoU will be measured not by academic qualifications alone, but by how effectively practical knowledge and analytical tools are applied to solve real-world operational hurdles.
President of the Ghana Scholarly Society and Associate Professor at the University of Bradford, Dr. Kweku Adams, urged a shift away from measuring academic success solely through journal citations. Instead, he called for research focused on generating practical, actionable solutions for businesses, governments, and society. Citing dramatic population growth across West Africa such as Ghana’s growth from 6.4 million in 1957 to over 37 million today. Dr. Adams underscored the necessity of reliable data and rigorous research to navigate infrastructure, healthcare, and socioeconomic pressure. He noted that academic research into market internationalization could also aid Jospong’s continued expansion across diverse economic and regulatory environments in Africa.
Initiated by Dr. Glenn Kobina Gyimah, Head of the Green Transition Office at Jospong Group, the agreement aligns industry data and real-world operational challenges from JGC with GSS’s global network of scholars across the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia. GSS will deliver specialized supervisory support, executive training, and multidisciplinary expertise spanning economics, health, law, accounting, the built environment, and social sciences. Both organizations anticipate that this strategic alliance will serve as a model for industry-academia collaboration, driving sustainable development and innovation across Ghana and the broader continent.
