POP Exchange: International Collaboration of four Departments and Programmes in Population Studies and Demography

Makerere University, (Uganda), University of Ghana (Ghana). University of Groningen, (the Netherlands), and University of the Witwatersrand, (South Africa) have launched a new partnership between their Demography departments and master programs in Population Studies and Demography. This partnership aims to expand the network of students, staff and faculty to encourage joint research, grant writing, and knowledge sharing. Furthermore, the partnership promotes teaching collaborations between the four universities, strengthens diversity in our classrooms, and offers students and researchers an opportunity to further develop their intercultural communication skills and understanding of demographic events in different contexts. 

The first activity of the collaboration is a POP Exchange, a virtual exchange for both students and staff to get to know each other, and for current graduate students from each university to discuss ideas for their thesis topics and learn from each other with the guidance of researchers from each institution. The virtual exchange aims to broaden students’ perspectives on demography issues, e.g. contextual interpretations of demographic concepts, understanding how local population dynamics relate to population dynamics in other regions, and to further develop their intercultural competences and career perspectives as they will broaden their networks, perhaps even meeting their future colleagues!

Directors of Collaborating Departments

Dr. Ayaga Agula Bawah
Associate Professor
Director, Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS)
University of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
aabawah ug.edu.gh

Dr. Hinke Haisma
Professor of Child Nutrition and Population Health
Head, Department of Demography
University of Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands
h.h.haisma rug.nl

Dr. Allen Kabagenyi
Senior Lecturer
Head, Department of Population Studies,
School of Statistics and Planning (SSP)
Makerere University
Kampala, Uganda
allenka79 yahoo.com
allen.kabagenyi mak.ac.ug

Dr. Clifford Odimegwu
Professor of Demography and Social Statistics
Director, Department of Demography and Population Studies
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
clifford.odimegwu wits.ac.za

Institutional Focal Points

Dr. Billie de Haas
Assistant Professor
Population Research Centre
University of Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands
b.de.haas rug.nl

Dr. Fidelia Dake
Senior lecturer
Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS)
University of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
fadake ug.edu.gh

Dr. Matshidiso Sello
Research Fellow
Department of Demography and Population Studies
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
matshidiso.sello wits.ac.za

Dr. Peter Kisaakye
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Population Studies
School of Statistics and Planning
Makerere University
Kampala, Uganda 
pkisaakye gmail.com

Student Assistants

Caesar Agula
PhD Candidate | Student Assistant
Regional Institute for Population Studies
University of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
caesaragula gmail.com

Hannah Kasak-Gliboff
MSc Student | Student Assistant
Islands and Sustainability
University of Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands
h.b.gliboff student.rug.nl

Vincent Kayemba,
Graduate Assistant
Department of Population Studies,
School of Statistics and Planning,
Makerere University
Kampala, Uganda
vincentkayembaura gmail.com