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Prof. Emmanuel  Saboro
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Prof. Emmanuel Saboro

Associate Professor - ( Senior Member ) Centre for African and International Studies

Director

Centre for African and International Studies
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Field(s) of Specialization
African Literature
Oral Tradtion
Slavery Studies
Field(s) of Academic Interest
African Literature
Oral History
About

 
Emmanuel SABORO(PhD)

Email: esaboro@ucc.ed.ugh

Phone: +233 (0) 54 2027 650

Office Location: Centre for African and International Studies

College of Humanities and Legal Studies

Faculty of Arts, Communal Block Building

I am an Associate Professor and currently serve as Director of the Centre for African and International Studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. I describe myself as a Trans-Disciplinary Scholar with research interests centered on the interface between African Literature, Cultural Memory, and Slavery Studies. Specifically, my work explores the impact of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade on Africa, Slavery and Anti-Slavery Discourses, and 19th Century African Internal Slave Trafficking—particularly in Northern Ghana.

My recent research focuses on Memory, Trauma, Resistance, and Identity Construction in Northern Ghana. A key feature of my scholarship is expanding the methodological tools available to uncover histories of regions and periods where written sources are scarce or inaccessible. I apply historical, cultural, and literary methodologies to the study of Indigenous African cultures, collecting and interpreting oral traditions, songs, and oral histories related to slavery, its legacies, and afterlives through extensive ethnographic fieldwork. This complex data is complemented by literary analysis, contextual interpretation, and insights from Cultural Anthropology to construct rich narratives of the slave experience in West Africa and Ghana.

My first monograph, Wounds of Our Past: Remembering Captivity, Enslavement and Resistance in African Oral Narratives (Brill, 2022), examines memories of the slave era in Northern Ghana through song. It contributes to scholarship on slavery-related lyrical traditions by analyzing songs among the Bulsa and Kasena ethnic groups as coded expressions of hope, resistance, and resilience. Having “no fixed meanings”, I describe them as both flexible and greatly useful for conveying a variety of meanings. The work is significant first for its originality as the first and currently the sole source on the memory of the slave trade era in these northern Ghanaian songs, and secondly for amplifying the experiences of those who suffered violence without being formally enslaved. 

My current research, Sites of Memory: The Lost and Hidden Stories that Spaces and Places Tell about the Atlantic Slave Trade in Ghana, explores how cultural and historical sites in Ghana can be read not merely as physical structures but as Symbolic Spaces imbued with metaphorical meaning. My previous research partnerships include Authoring Slavery: Authorship and Agency in Narratives of Slavery in Ghana (with Danish partners, 2021–2024) and African Abolitionism: The Rise and Transformations of Anti-Slavery in Africa (AFRAB), in collaboration with University College London and institutions in Tanzania, Nigeria, and Cameroon (2021–2024).

I currently serve on the International Advisory Board for PASSAGE (Partnership for Atlantic Slavery Scholarship, Archiving and Global Exchange), funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. This project combines archival research on the history of slave ships with public engagement initiatives and an international research mobility programme that will center and support the research of scholars on the history of transatlantic slavery from West Africa and the Caribbean.

Biography:

I attained my doctoral degree at the Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE), University of Hull, England. I have been teaching at the University of Cape Coast since September 2010. I was a recipient of the American Council of Learned Societies, African Humanities Post-doctoral fellowship in 2017. I have held visiting fellowships at various Universities including the Summer International Advanced Research Institute (BIARI) at Brown University, Providence, USA, in 2018; Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Bonn Centre for Dependency Studies, University of Bonn, Germany in 2023; Visiting Scholar fellowship on the Speculative Play and Just Futurities Program, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, USA, 2024.


Research Supervision:

I am interested in supervising MA/Mphil and PhD research projects on the following themes:

  • African Slavery and Anti-Slavery Discourses
  • African Literature and Representations in Film
  • Cultural Memory and Collective Identity in Africa
  • African Oral Traditions
  • Ethnicity and Race-Making in Africa
  • Reparatory Justice on both Transatlantic and African Indigenous Slavery

 

 

 

Degrees
  • Master of Philosophy in African Literature

    University of Cape Coast 2009
  • Presented a lecture

    September, 2024

    Critical Reflections of the Slave Trade in Ghana: The Hidden and Lost Stories that Spaces and Places Tell University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, USA.

  • Presented a lecture

    September, 2024

    Interior Histories: of Slavery and Memory Reimagining Landscapes of Trauma, Dispossession and Survival. University of Indiana, Indianapolis, USA.

  • Presented a lecture

    July, 2024

    Cultural and Historical Memories of Slavery in Ghana: The hidden and lost stories that spaces and places tell us. Aarhus University, Denmark.

  • Presented a Paper

    November, 2023

    Towards a Revisionist History: King Ghartey and Local Abolitionism in the Gold Coast in the Nineteenth Century University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

  • Presented a Paper

    October, 2022

    George Ferguson and Local Abolitionism in 19th-century Northern Ghana EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. .

  • Presented a Paper

    April, 2022

    George Ferguson and Local Abolitionism in Nineteenth (19th) century Northern Ghana University of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

  • Presented Excerpts of my book: Wounds of Our Past: Remembering Captivity and Enslavement in African Oral Narratives.

    February, 2022

    Authoring Slavery Project Conference at the School of Modern Languages University of Ghana, Accra, Legon.

  • Presented a Paper

    September, 2021

    Decolonizing Writing Ridge Royal Hotel, Cape Coast..

  • Presented a Paper

    August, 2021

    Slavery, Women and Anti-Slavery in Ghana Aarhus University, Denmark .

  • Presented a Paper

    September, 2020

    Sexual Violence, Mothering and Maternal Grieve in Ghanaian Oral Narratives University of Alabama/ Ghana University Collaboration Virtual Symposium.

  • Presented a Paper

    August, 2019

    Reclaiming Lost Narratives: Beyond 400 Years of Slavery at the Institute of African Studies University of Ghana.

  • Facilitator

    April, 2019

    Fulbright Program “The Impact of the Slave Trade on the Education of the Youth” UCC.

  • Panel Chair

    April, 2019

    “The Beautyful ones are not yet born @ 60” UCC.

  • In Attendance

    October, 2018

    African Humanities Program Book Manuscript Development Workshop. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

  • Presented a Paper

    June, 2018

    Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (BIARI): ‘Forced Population Displacement and the Making of the Modern World’. Brown University, Providence, Rhodes Island, USA..

  • Presented a Paper

    December, 2017

    International Conference: Moving Beyond Paternalism: Supplicants, Saviors and the Politics of Anti-Slavery and Anti-Trafficking in Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa..

  • Present a Paper

    November, 2017

    Departmental Colloquium, Department of Literary Studies in English Rhodes University, South Africa..

  • Facilitator

    September, 2024

    Contemporary Issues in Fisheries Management. Fisheries Leadership Short course for Practitioners funded by USAID/Fisheries Recovery Activity Ghana.

  • Presenter

    October, 2024

    International and Regional Fisheries Institutional Frameworks and Bodies. Workshop on Destabilising Impacts of Distant Water Fishing Vessels (DWFV) in the Gulf of Guinea Yaounde, Cameroon.

  • Guest Speaker

    October, 2024

    “Promoting Research Excellence for Impact on Marine Conservation in Africa”, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries Online Seminar Series University of British Columbia, Canada.

  • Co-Facilitator

    October, 2021

    “Grants Proposal Writing Workshop” University for Development Studies.

  • Presenter

    November, 2024

    “Performance of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience”, Country Round Table Workshop Association of African Universities (AAU), Online.

  • Facilitator

    November, 2024

    “Regional Political Parties Dialogue on Fisheries: Protecting Our Fish, Securing Our Future, Live Engagement on JoyNews TV Centre for National Culture, Cape Coast.

  • Presenter

    November, 2023

    Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the topic “Our Oceans: Securing Our Common Future through Transformative Research” Medical School Auditorium, University of Cape Coast.

  • Presenter

    March, 2024

    Africa’s Plastic Revolution: Advancing Global Solutions for Healthy Oceans, T.D. Walter Bean Professorship Public Lecture University of Waterloo, Canada.

  • Presenter

    June, 2024

    Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy. National Consultative Workshop for the Formulation of a National Blue Economy Strategy for Angola Luanda, Angola.

  • Panelist

    June, 2024

    Regional Steering Committee Workshop for the World Bank West African Coastal Resilience Investment Projects (WACA ReSiP and ReiP2) Banjul, Gambia.

  • Facilitator

    July-August, 2012

    Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change. Short-term Training Course funded by USAID Ghana.

  • Co-Discussant

    July, 2023

    “Expanding the Impact of Blue Economy in Africa” (with Professor Rashid Sumaila) World Bank Headquarters, Washington.

  • Facilitator

    February, 2022

    Workshop on “Winning Research and Development Grants in a Competitive World” Bolgatanga Technical University, Ghana.

  • Facilitator

    February, 2019

    Workshop on “Proposal and Grants writing” University of Ghana, Ghana.

  • Speaker

    August, 2024

    Study Tour on Sustainable Fisheries Management & Leadership University of Rhode Island, United States.

  • Presenter

    August, 2023

    Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Ghana Case Study. Bootcamp on moving fisheries from Vulnerability to Viability Puri, Delhi, India.

  • Guest Speaker

    April, 2024

    Workshop Presentation on “Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy in Africa Hohai University, China.

  • Participant

    2021

    6th ACE Impact Regional Workshop of the World Bank and the Association of African Universities Accra (Online).

  • Panelist

    2014

    Seaweed (Sargassum) Invasion on the Ghanaian Coasts, Implications for the National Economy and Management Live TV Broadcast, GTV.

  • Guest Speaker

    2010

    “West African Fisheries”, Workshop by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda.

  • The Case for Reparations in the Ghanaian Public Imaginaries within a Globalized Framework: A Historical and Moral Analysis

    Virtual International Interdisciplinary Conference, Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife Nigeria.

    1. 2017

      American Council of Learned Socieites, African Humanities Post-Doctoral Fellowship

      Carnegie

    1. 2024-2025

      Team member, Contract for services to deliver a short course on Marine Litter under the OCPP

      Cefas/UKAID

    2. 2024

      Panel Chair, Reviewed Environmental Impact Statement of PECAN Energies for Offshore Exploration of Oil & Gas

      Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana, Secondi/Takoradi

    3. 2023-2024

      Team member, Contract for development of a short course on Marine Litter for the West Africa Region

      Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID

    4. 2023-2024

      Team member, Contract services to conduct data collection surveys on abandoned lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in Ghana

      Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID

    5. 2023

      Lead Consultant, Contract for the Development of Fishery Courses Syllabi for Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (DoFAS), University of Liberia

      IDA-V3100

    6. 2023

      Panel Chair, Evaluation of Applications for recruitment of Environmental, Social Safeguards Officers for Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI)

      World Bank funded West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme

    7. 2022-2023

      Lead Consultant, Consultancy to review and align national fisheries and aquaculture polices and laws with the PFRS, regional instruments and global best practices for 15 AU Member States

      African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)

    8. 2022-2023

      Lead Consultant, Mechanisms to Facilitate the Domestication of Global Instruments and Initiatives (2022)

      African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)

    9. 2022-2023

      Lead Consultant, Identification of Issues for SIDS, Development of Draft Strategic Positions for SIDS

      African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)

    10. 2022

      Team member, Environmental Systems Analysis of the Avu Lagoon Protected area

      Calgary Zoo Foundation

    11. 2021

      Trainer, Conduct Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in Ghana

      University of Liverpool

    12. 2021

      Team member, Pre-feasibility study for nature-based intervention for Anlo Beach community in Ghana

      Valued at US$32,365.00

    13. 2021

      Team member, Marine Plastic Pollution Study in Liberia

      Conservation International

    14. 2021

      Team member, Vulnerability, Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate - WACA -VAR Workshop

      World Bank

    15. 2020-2021

      Consultant, Support Development of Multi-sector Resilience Investment Programme for the West Africa Coastal Area Management Program

      World Bank

    16. 2020-2021

      Consultant, Issues and Opportunities in the Ghanaian Fishery Sector: Addressing the context, prospects and challenges

      Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), United Kingdom

    17. 2020

      Consultant, Estimations on renewable energy investments in Ghana

      Highland Star Group (HSG) of Companies, Geneva, Switzerland

    18. 2019-2020

      Team Member, Regional Mapping of Experts and Institutions in Coastal management

      World Bank

    19. 2017

      Lead Consultant, Review of the Fisheries Act 2002 (act 625) and the Development of Draft Regulations for the conduct of Fisheries Impact Assessments

      Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA) and GOGIG funded by DFID/UK

    20. 2013

      Team member, Environmental baseline survey of water bodies in the Great Consolidated Diamond Ghana Limited (GCDGL) mining concession

      AERC Ltd.

    21. 2012

      Team member, Scoping Study on the Dredging of the Whin Estuary in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis

      UCC Consultancy Unit/Consolidated Energy Ltd.

    22. 2011

      Team member, Social Ecology of Anlo Beach Wetland of Ghana

      Friends of the Nation/IUCN/French Global Environment Facility (GEF)

    23. 2010

      Principal Investigator, Biodiversity Assessment of Urban Wetlands in the Western Region, Ghana with focus on Essei and Butuah Lagoons and the Whin River Estuary

      USAID through Friends of the Nation

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