Prof. Mary Boatemaa Setrana is a Professor of Migration and Social Change and Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Ghana. She is also the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Research Chair on Forced Displacement in Anglophone West Africa. She is a member of the Scientific Committee for the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA). She serves as an Advisory Board Member for the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Centre of Excellence on Migration and Mobility and for the Centre on Forced Displacement at Boston University.
At the African Union (AU) level, she developed Gender-Responsive Labour Migration Policy Modules and Guidelines/Checklists for AU member states (funded by the International Organization for Migration, IOM). She led the evaluation of the AU Migration Policy Framework (funded by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ)). Alongside her policy and research work, she is deeply committed to mentorship and capacity building, training early-career researchers, supervising PhD and graduate students, and leading workshops that equip the next generation of scholars with the skills to reimagine African migration education, research, policy, and practice.
She previously led the development of Botswana’s National Migration Policy and contributed to the facilitation of Ghana’s Diaspora Policy. She has successfully led or co-led international research projects supported by the European Union (EU), United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), and United Nations (UN) agencies, including the Migration for Development and Equality (MIDEQ) project and the Resilience Against Climate Change – Social Transformation Research and Policy Advocacy (REACH-STR) initiative.
Her research interests include migration governance, forced displacement, gender, and labour migration, return migration and reintegration, and climate-related (im)mobilities. She has published extensively in various reputable national, regional, and international outlets.
You were recently appointed Professor of Migration and Social Change at the University of Ghana. Congratulations! What was your reaction when you received the news?
I was excited and thankful, and I felt fulfilled when I received the news of my appointment. It was a profoundly reflective moment for me. I felt a renewed sense of responsibility, and I was—and still am—motivated to do more through teaching, research, mentorship, and service to increase my impact and influence.
Your work has long focused on fostering regional and global research networks on migration governance, while working extensively on bridging research, policy, and practice. How do you see your role, going forward, in shaping or expanding your already impressive track record?
As you rightly noted, issues on regional and global research networks on migration governance have defined the last decade of my academic journey so far. So obviously, the next step is to build on them, which follows the natural progression of development. Therefore, the professorial appointment has strengthened my desire to deepen and expand the impact of my research, policy engagement, and practice on migration, gender, and displacement governance.
In the immediate future and the next decades, I have resolved to place migrants more firmly at the center of research, policy, and practice. Foregrounding migrants ensures that their lived experiences and realities remain central to decision-making. I also seek to intentionally engage policymakers by presenting research recommendations in simplified, accessible formats to encourage them to listen, learn, and apply these findings in practical ways. Equally important is collaborating with them to co-create research that addresses policy needs more directly.
I am more committed to de-centering Eurocentric and Western knowledge production in the field of migration governance and displacement regimes by highlighting the substantial role and value of indigenous knowledge systems. I also hope to increase the number of mentees I support to ensure the sustainability of my contributions to the field and to help nurture the next generation of scholars and practitioners.
In what ways has your experience as an APN IRG Fellow influenced your academic and professional trajectory?
In many ways, all the progress, contributions, and collaborations with colleagues and partners over the last decade can be attributed to the foundational role of the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) in my academic and professional development.
APN was my first major grant as an early-career scholar. This was in 2017, shortly after I returned from maternity leave. At the time, after spending six months at home with my newborn babies, I was reflecting on how to bridge the research and publication gap and reposition myself academically. I do not quite remember how I came across APN, but I vividly remember finding information about the program and its fellowship award program. I read extensively about them and studied the work of previous fellows, gradually developing my proposal idea.
I applied for a research grant and was eventually awarded one. That marked the beginning of my journey into grantsmanship. APN became a major learning ground for me. The mentor – Dr. Thomas Tieku – assigned to me walked closely with me throughout my career and has remained an important source of academic guidance. We have published together, and the mentorship has continued over the years.
Dr. Cyril Obi, the Program Director, also played a remarkable role in shaping many of us within the network. He had a unique ability to identify our individual strengths and strategically position us for growth and visibility. My first attendance at the African Studies Association (ASA) Conference in Atlanta came through APN under his guidance. He encouraged me to write the panel proposal and supported the team in delivering a successful session. My first special issue publication was inspired by APN and Cyril’s mentorship. Similarly, my first UNESCO conference opportunity also came through recommendations within APN’s internal network.
The mentorship I received through APN has not only benefited me personally; it has also shaped the way I support younger scholars today. I often encourage potential applicants to look beyond the research funding itself and appreciate the strong community of mentorship and support that APN offers, which is truly invaluable.
As I have progressed professionally, it has also been inspiring to see members of my APN 2017 cohort occupying strategic positions across academia, governance, and industry. This network continues to remain an important part of my professional and intellectual journey.
What advice would you offer to scholars currently navigating their doctoral journey?
I would advise scholars to be flexible and receptive to mentorship and the reshaping of their research. Let me share my story on how I became involved with APN.
I applied for APN not because I was a peacebuilding student; far from it, in fact. My PhD was in Migration Studies, focusing on how people returning from Europe and America were reintegrating into and adjusting to their communities in Ghana. My doctoral research was not directly aligned with conflict or peacebuilding. However, after carefully reading the call, I began to reflect on how migration-related issues, such as citizenship, could also serve as tools for either conflict or peacebuilding. For any young scholar navigating the doctoral journey today, it is important to acknowledge that times have changed. This is an era that demands scholars to be innovative, interdisciplinary, visible, and engaging beyond the classroom and in publications.
Scholars pursuing doctoral studies should actively research organizations and foundations that offer opportunities that meet their needs or provide a platform for their professional or academic growth. What drove me to apply for the APN grant was the search for mentorship, exposure, networks, and research opportunities. Some of my groundbreaking research outputs today are based on findings from my APN-funded project. In many ways, my visibility in the field has been strengthened by the number of publications and blogs that emerged from this research experience. These achievements were made possible through APN’s support. A guiding principle in my life comes from a biblical quote: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). So, I encourage young scholars to embrace the spirit of enquiry by asking, knocking, exploring, and investigating. No matter how long it takes, persistence and consistency will lead them to what they are searching for.
It is also important for young scholars to see research as a tool for impact, visibility, and long-term contribution to society, rather than as a requirement for graduation. Sometimes, the opportunities that shape your career most significantly may come from spaces you never initially imagined yourself belonging to. Young scholars should remain open to opportunities beyond their immediate research focus, to pursue mentorship intentionally, and to build strong academic and professional networks.
