A Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and Political Studies has been awarded a £49,980 grant to mentor three early career scholars from KNUST. The funding was won by Dr. George Bob-Milliar, who is currently the Director of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology's Centre for Cultural and African Studies, along with scholars from the University of Anglia (UK) and the University of Copenhagen (Denmark).
Dr. John Boulard Forkuor, Ms. Eugenia Anderson, and Mr. Manuel Jojo Manu-Osafo are working on a project called "Old parks, new futures: recording the uses of open space in an African city." The goal of the project is to research and examine the political history and current use of Jackson Park (now Golden Jubilee Park), which was founded in 1935 but has poor upkeep and services. Three case studies are used to examine the many uses of Jackson Park: 'getting votes,' 'getting noticed,' and 'getting by.'
Dr. George Bob-project, Milliar's 'Getting Votes,' focuses on the historical and political uses of Jackson Park. The study investigates how regular folks interact with politicians and political actors in Jackson Park. The main goal is to describe how an old urban park functions as a historical and political place.
The second study, titled ‘Getting Noticed,' is being done by Dr. Karen Lauterbach of the University of Copenhagen and focuses on Jackson Park's socio-cultural and entrepreneurial uses. The study looks at a variety of actors, including entrepreneurs, sports groups, non-profit organizations, and religions, and how they might use a park to build a following. The main goal is to show how an old urban park can be used for civil society and business.
Dr. Ben Jones of the University of East Anglia will investigate how hawkers, petty traders, and homeless sleepers use Jackson Park and what it means to them in their everyday lives. The goal of the ‘Getting by' part is to chronicle how an ancient urban park acts as a gathering place for the city's poorest and more marginalized citizens.
The Management of KNUST congratulates Dr. George Bob-Milliar for winning this prestigious grant.