Interdisciplinary Fellow Group on "Ageing in Africa: Narratives, Human rights, and Care" 

Funding: MIASA Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa

Duration: March - June 2026

Convenor: Professor Erdmute Alber

Co-convenor: Dr. Mavis Dako-Gyeke

Members:  Professor Cati Coe, Dr. Ignatius Gutsa, Dr. Albert Irambeshya

Outline:

Africa is undergoing major demographic change, the share of its older population is expected to increase faster than in other regions. This challenges families, households, institutions, practices of governance, civil society and human rights organisations. These dynamics are understudied, and the literature remains disparate. The IFG makes ageing in Africa a more prominent theme by bringing together scholars working on age in different contexts. We seek to better understand contemporary processes of governance and human rights by studying how African states cope with the challenges of ageing. The IFG makes the Centre of Ageing Studies at Legon more visible and connected to similar institutions. Producing a reader on ageing in Africa, we implement a useful tool for teaching programms.
In sum, the IFG (1) brings research on ageing in Africa at a new level, (2) intervenes innovatively in the debates on governance and human rights, (3) contributes to the advancement of teaching on ageing in Africa and (4) impacts on a structural level with regard to the Centre of Ageing Studies at the UG.