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The University of Sussex has strengthened its long-standing strategic partnership with the University of Ghana through a Cross-Cultural Reciprocal Mentoring Scheme for Women, focused on advancing gender equality, inclusive leadership and international collaboration. 

This latest visit builds on momentum from the Cross-Cultural Reciprocal Mentoring Scheme first highlighted in August 2025, when colleagues from the University of Ghana visited Sussex to share learning, strengthen relationships and launch mentoring partnerships. The return visit to Accra marks the next phase of the collaboration, demonstrating the sustained impact and growth of the initiative.

A Sussex delegation comprising Professor Kate O’Riordan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students; Professor Sarah Guthrie, Associate Dean for Culture, Equality and Inclusion; and Sarah Law, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, visited the University of Ghana in Accra to review progress on the initiative and explore opportunities to scale future collaboration. 

Led by Professor Sarah Guthrie at Sussex and Professor Deborah Atobrah, Director of the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) at the University of Ghana, the British Council-funded scheme connects female academic and professional services staff from both institutions through reciprocal mentoring, structured peer learning and regular reflective engagement. 

During the visit, the Sussex delegation met women who had participated in the mentoring scheme, heard first-hand feedback on its impact, and discussed the development of a mentoring toolkit and other outputs that will inform future international projects supporting women’s career progression in higher education. 

The delegation also met with senior leadership at the University of Ghana, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Professor Gordon Awandare, as well as colleagues from CEGENSA, the International Programmes Office and the College of Education. Discussions highlighted strong alignment between the mentoring scheme and the University of Ghana’s strategic priorities around staff development, engagement and global partnerships. 

Professor Kate O’Riordan said: 

“This visit was an amazing opportunity to meet colleagues in person and to learn more about the University of Ghana. The cross-cultural reciprocal mentoring project is a brilliant initiative, and I have personally benefited from participating as one of the mentoring pairs. It is an honour to contribute to the rich history of partnership between our two institutions.” 

Professor Sarah Guthrie added: 

‘It has been tremendously exciting to work with our Ghanaian colleagues on this project. Women in the mentoring scheme have shared cross-cultural insights that benefit their professional and personal growth, as well as contributing to our understanding of the structural barriers to women’s career advancement. We received a very warm welcome in Ghana and look forward to further collaborations in future.’ 

The mentoring initiative sits within a broader and evolving Sussex–Ghana strategic partnership, which includes the University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies, and the University of Ghana Tripartite Partnership, research collaboration, joint work in health sciences, international development, and educational initiatives such as collaborative online learning, international connectivity programmes and summer schools. 

Both universities have reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining and expanding the Cross-Cultural Reciprocal Mentoring Scheme for Women, recognising it as a model of collaborative excellence with potential for replication across national and international HE contexts.