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Photo of Nhlanhla Thwala

, PhD

Vice - Chancellor of Africa Leadership University

African Leadership University

Photo of Joachim Osur

, PhD

Vice Chancellor, Amref International University

Amref International University

Photo of Angela Owusu-Ansah

, PhD

Provost (Chief Academic Officer/Pro Vice Chancellor) at Ashesi University

Ashesi University

Photo of Ellis Owusu-Dabo

, PhD

Former Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor of Epidemiology & Global Health, Consultant Public Health Physician and Researcher.

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Photo of Mabel Namubuya Nangami

, PhD

Associate Professor, Health Policy and Health Systems Management

Moi University

Photo of Emmanuel Opoku Mensah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Photo of Famous Tay

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Photo of Gwen Burrows

Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement & Impact

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Harriet Tunu Baraka

Master Scholar

Amref International University, University of Toronto

Profile

Nhlanhla Thwala, PhD

Vice - Chancellor of Africa Leadership University

African Leadership University

Dr. Nhlanhla Thwala started his career in 1986 as a high school teacher in his native Eswatini after completing a BA in History and English, and a Diploma in Education.

In 1990, he completed an MA in Linguistics at Syracuse University. In 1994, he completed a PhD in formal Linguistics from the University of California in Los Angeles.

His post-PhD career started in Indiana University, Bloomington where he was a Visiting Scholar and Coordinator of the African Language Program from 1996 to June 1998. He then spent 16 years at Wits University, Johannesburg from June 1998 to May 2014 in various capacities including serving as the founding Head of the School of Literature, Language and Media (2001-2003), Director of the Wits Language School (2007-2014), Researcher at SOAS while on Sabbatical at Wits (2004-2006). In 2014, he left Wits and first joined Advtech (one the largest JSE listed private education companies in South Africa) as Head of the Institute of Independent Education (IIE). He then joined Pearson South Africa as Managing Director of CTI Education Group (a higher education company acquired by Pearson in 2013) from September 2014. In that time, he also served as the Academic Director of Pearson Institute of Higher Education from 2016 until his departure in September 2020 this year.

Nhlanhla’s education professional career spans 34 years. After starting as a Higher School teacher, in June 1996, he returned to the University of Swaziland in January 1997 as a Teaching Assistant in the English Department until June 1988.

During his graduate studies, he worked as a teaching assistant at Syracuse University and UCLA. He also had Summer Teaching roles at Yale University (1993), Boston University (1994), and Ohio State University (1996). In 1998, he started at Wits as Lecturer and rose to Senior Lecturer in 1999 before his appointment as Head of the School of Literature Language and Media in 2001.

Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Rwanda
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Joachim Osur, PhD

Vice Chancellor, Amref International University

Amref International University

Joachim Osur is a Professor of Public Health as well as a Sexual and Reproductive Health practitioner. He is the Vice Chancellor, Amref International University.

He is a leader with wide experience in building sustainable health systems in Africa. He is also a specialist in higher education with a focus in building fit for purpose health workforce for African health systems. He is a medical practitioner specialized in Sexual Medicine and continues to attend to patients in his line of specialization.

Email Address
joachim.osur@amref.org
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Kenya
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Angela Owusu-Ansah, PhD

Provost (Chief Academic Officer/Pro Vice Chancellor) at Ashesi University

Ashesi University

Angela Owusu-Ansah brings more than thirty years of academic and administrative experience in the United States and Ghana, West Africa, to her current role as Provost of Ashesi University. A member of the Phi Kappa Phi, a community of top scholars and professionals, she seeks to build an enduring legacy for future generations. She is a strong advocate for higher education quality serving on national university accreditation agency Boards such as the Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC) and serving 18 years on the United States Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP, formerly NCATE).

As an education leader, Angela served as Elon University’s Associate Dean of the School of
Education and Associate Dean of Access and Success, Samford University’s Assistant Dean of Education Assessment, and currently, Ashesi University’s Provost. She leverages innovative approaches, such as the scholarship of teaching and learning to improve student learning, the science of learning for faculty optimization of instruction, and research capacity building to improve higher education experiences and outcomes. She served on one of the ten Regional Education Laboratories’ Board in the United States to contribute to policy direction and implementation to support research in education.

Angela fosters entrepreneurial and innovative thinking for improving Africa by building spaces for students’ problem solving, integrating southern theory where feasible, and contributing to the development of Africa’s first university ranking system designed for appreciative inquiry of Africa’s systematic growth. Her research interest is in impact evaluation and change in Africa’s higher education, specifically digitized higher education instruction, higher education teaching and learning as a science, intercultural understanding among African students, and African women in Higher Education leadership.

Email Address
aowusuansah@ashesi.edu.gh
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Ghana
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Ellis Owusu-Dabo, PhD

Former Pro Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor of Epidemiology & Global Health, Consultant Public Health Physician and Researcher.

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Dr. Ellis Owusu-Dabo is a Consultant Public Health Physician, Teacher and Researcher.

As a Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health, his area of expertise is in Medical Epidemiology and applied public health technologies. As a teacher, he has trained undergraduate and postgraduate 2 students, as well as mentored young faculty at both local and international levels.

Ellis is a demonstrable astute university administrator and a research project management consultant. He is highly driven in his research interest area, mainly non-communicable diseases in low-income country settings. He also has considerable interest in population genomics of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Ellis has secured and managed multimillion United States dollar research grants from principal granting institutions such as the European Union, National Institutes of Health (NIH), The World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) as well as many bilateral organisations. He serves on several boards at both local and international levels, and has a massive network of individuals and organisations he works with. Dr Owusu-Dabo has published over 250 research articles in peer-reviewed journals. As Perelman International Scholar of the University of Pensylvannia School of Medicine, his passion is in building capacities of next generation scientists and health systems to help solve Africa’s health problems through scientific research collaborations.

Email Address
owusudabo@yahoo.com
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Ghana
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Mabel Namubuya Nangami, PhD

Associate Professor, Health Policy and Health Systems Management

Moi University

Mabel Namubuya Nangami is a distinguished researcher, trainer, and curriculum expert, with over 30 years of extensive experience in teaching and research work. She is currently an Associate Professor in health policy and health systems management and the Dean of the School of Public Health at Moi University. She has facilitated JAS 4 seminar under the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) doctoral program. As a trainer, she has consulted for the Ministry of Health-Kenya on the Leadership and Management support program under Management Sciences for Health to train in Health Systems Management; designed curriculum and manuals on Monitoring and Evaluation of Pillar 1 (HIV & AIDS); and middle-level managers and policymakers in health systems management under the Collaborative project between AMREF & MU. She consulted for the Institute of Health Policy Management and Research (IHPMR) on operations research under the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) for improving Service Delivery in Reproductive Health.

Mabel has been involved in undertaking situation analyses of Human Resources for Health training institutions and their networks in Eastern and Southern Africa, focusing on Health Systems Management activities, and conducted the evaluation of community health programs for Amref Health Africa and the Kenya Red Cross, among others. She has been a Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on several grants and published research on HIV & AIDS, maternal and child health in areas with a policy and health system focus, as well as curriculum development in various areas of public health. She served as deputy project lead and co-Investigator on the NACOSTI/IDRC funded 1st Health Systems Research Chair awarded to Prof. Fabian Esamai at Moi University in 2014-2020, titled: A System Approach to Improving Maternal and Child Health Care Delivery in Kenya: Innovations at the Community Level and Primary Care Facilities. She was also a Co-Principal Investigator for the Cross Border Health Access project (which focuses on HIV&AIDS, delivery, and immunization services) funded by MRC/WELCOME TRUST and awarded to Makerere University in 2018-2020. Currently, she is working as a Co-PI with Prof. Constance Tenge on building the capacity of select counties to prevent Sickle cell disease (SCD) towards building a national registry for SCD and collaborating with the University of Toronto to set up a center of Excellence in health systems strengthening through a primary health care approach towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for devolved health units in Kenya.

Email Address
mabel.nangami@mu.ac.ke
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Kenya
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Profile

Emmanuel Opoku Mensah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

My experience as a Mastercard Scholar has been nothing short of exhilarating.

This is in stark contrast to the initial feeling of uncertainty when I was selected. Mastercard has contributed immensely to my integration into my program of study. Every step of the way was carefully guided to prevent any mishaps, and I could not be more grateful.

I am looking forward to completing my Masters in Public Health at the University of Toronto and making great impact in the occupational and environmental health space worldwide.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Programs
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Occupational and Environmental Health
Profile

Shadrach Korsah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

As a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Toronto and formerly at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, my fundamental experience is that the Scholars Program is full of opportunities – opportunities for personal development, networking, impact and self-actualization.

The exposure has enabled me to develop a better sense of leadership, one that is premised on the values of integrity, service and positive influence.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Programs
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Social and Behavioural Health Sciences
Profile

Famous Tay

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

The Mastercard Foundation’s visionary commitment to education and leadership has profoundly influenced my journey.

As a Mastercard Scholar, I’m deeply proud to be part of a program that not only champions academic excellence but also emphasizes the importance of creating a meaningful, positive impact in the world. This scholarship has not only alleviated financial barriers but has also fostered a culture of service and leadership within me. Through my studies, I’m determined to contribute to solving global challenges and improving accessibility of healthcare. This transformative experience has empowered me to think globally and act locally, making a real difference.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Programs
Biomedical Engineering
Master of Engineering (MEng)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Profile

Gwen Burrows

Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement & Impact

Office of the Vice-President International

Gwen Burrows is Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement & Impact at the University of Toronto.

The Assistant Vice-President, International Engagement and Impact (AVP IEI) collaborates with colleagues across the university and internationally to advance the University of Toronto’s global excellence and impact in research, its translation, and in teaching and learning. The Assistant Vice-President leads and executes the University’s integrated international strategy across multiple dimensions, with a particular focus on region-specific engagement strategies and the development of partnerships to maximize global impact.

Gwen was Executive Director in the Office of the Vice President International for five years before becoming AVP IEI and in that role, supported the creation and implementation of the University’s first international strategic plan, and led the development of key international partnerships in a number of regions around the world. Gwen came to the University from The Hospital for Sick Children, where she held a number of leadership positions, including Executive Director, Public Affairs and Child Health Advocacy. As Director, Strategic Projects for the SickKids Research Institute from 2006-2013, amongst other accomplishments Gwen co-led a successful $227 million Canada Foundation for Innovation grant proposal and its implementation to support the vision guiding the development of the Peter Gilligan Centre for Research and Learning. Gwen holds a Master’s in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins and a BA from McGill University.

Email Address
gwen.burrows@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Harriet Tunu Baraka

Master Scholar

Amref International University

My name is Harriet Tunu Baraka from Kenya, and I am a Mastercard Foundation scholar pursuing a Master of Health Administration at the esteemed University of Toronto. 

I got the award through my former school, Amref International University and this transformative journey has been incredible. The Mastercard Foundation team has been very supportive, and my transition to Canada has been seamless. This journey will not only equip me with the necessary leadership skills for the healthcare industry, but it will also make me expand my network and create lasting memories. I am very grateful.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Kenya
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Programs
Master of Health Administration (MHSc)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program