Alex Jacques Wilson, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer of African Studies and the Director of the Centre for African and International Studies at University of Cape Coast. He obtained his PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies with specialisation in Cultural Studies and Anthropology from the Ohio University, USA. He also has an M.Phil. in African Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Master of Arts in Internationals Studies, Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Cultural Studies, and a Postgraduate Diploma in African Community Health, all from the Ohio University. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Coast.
Dr. Wilson is an active scholar who combines administrative duties with teaching and research. His research interests include African social, political, educational, and health systems. He has devoted a considerable time of his career to researching the indigenous family systems of the Fantse of Ghana. But currently, he is working on a “Ghana – Diaspora Heritage Project,” a research on enslavement in Ghana, which seeks to study the history and culture of enslaved societies and examine ways of re-incorporating descendants of enslaved peoples into some Ghanaian communities such as Kormantse and Assin Manso. This project emerges from his active involvement and interest in the documentation of Intangible Cultural heritage. In fact, during the July 2019 Pan-African Festival of Arts and Culture (PANAFEST) and the Year of Return programmes that took place in Ghana, Dr. Wilson played a leading role in planning and organising the PANAFEST Colloquium and a memorable ‘Return to the Roots” trip to the historic Kormantse town of the Central Region, where participating African-descended peoples from the larger African diaspora were treated to a grand welcome ceremony by the chiefs and people of Kormantse.
Dr. Alex J. Wilson supervises several doctoral, masters, and undergraduate students who are engaged in project work and thesis research in African Studies. He also serves as resident advisor to students from Bucknell University (USA) and Grand Valley State University (USA) who come to Ghana on Study Abroad programmes.
In addition to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level courses, Dr Wilson has served in several administrative position including being a Board Member of the Centre for African and International Studies, UCC, Member of the University of Cape Coast Academic Board, (Representative for the then Department of African Studies), academic advisor for Level 100 and 200 students, Coordinator for Field Research Experience for Level 300 students, Examinations Officer for the Centre for African and International Studies, and a Registration Officer for the Faculty of Arts, UCC.
Dr. Wilson also served as a member of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) teams to provide expert review of the postgraduate curricula for the University of Ghana, Legon, University of Education of Winneba, Millar Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies, Bolgatanga, and the Institute for Technology and Development, Cape Coast. He also is an affiliate of the Global Studies Centre of Ohio University.
Dr. Wilson has received invitations for collaborative engagements in his field from universities nationally and internationally, including Ghana and the USA.
