The 2025 Annual International Research Conference has started at the Dambai College of Education in the Krachi East District of the Oti Region.

The 3-day conference brought together stakeholders in the education sector to discuss and identify measures to adopt in using research to advance Ghana’s educational agenda, which serves as the backbone of human resource development.

It is being held in partnership with the Southeast Missouri State University in the United States of America under the theme “Transforming Education for Sustainable Development: Reflecting on Equity, Innovation, Policy and Practice.

Opening the Conference, the Principal of the Dambai College of Education, Dr (Mrs) Benedicta Awusi Atiku, said the conference reflects the shared vision of the organizing institutions to advance knowledge and innovation in teacher education through collaborative research, dialogue, and practice.

She said that the theme was carefully chosen to help position education as a catalyst for transformation of the country’s education sector.

“Our theme challenges us to reimagine how education can become a true catalyst for transformation rooted in equity, guided by innovation, informed by sound policy, and enriched by inclusive practice”, she said.

She said that the 3-day conference would witness groundbreaking research works conducted in the educational sector, with the speakers exploring issues surrounding access and inclusion, digital transformation, policy reform, curriculum innovation, and lifelong learning.

The Council Chairman of the Dambai College of Education, John Majigi, stressed that the theme mirrors an occurrence in Asia where drastic development was witnessed following the introduction of sound and innovative education policies and practices.

He expressed hope that the conference would produce solutions to the numerous challenges in the country's educational sector.

“Over the next few days, we will engage in thought-provoking but also highly educational discussions. I hope that the ideas shared in the conference will be innovative, progressive that aiming to explore and craft solutions to the daunting challenges facing our education sector”, he said.

The Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Development Studies, Prof Elliot Haruna Alhassan, advocated for the implementation of systems and the formulation of policies that ensure equity in the education sector.

“Equity transforms education because it ensures that talent, not privilege, determines opportunity. And when that happens, innovation naturally follows”, he said.

He underscored the significance of innovation in improving academic activities, chronicling how the development of a digital learning platform during the COVID-19 pandemic augmented teaching and learning and hence has been integrated into the education landscape.

Prof Alhassan entreated stakeholders to ensure that policies developed for the education sector are implemented to achieve the desired results, ultimately targeted at enhancing education.

“From the 2007 Education Reform to the ongoing Standards-based Curriculum, the Ghana Education Service, and the Ministry of Education have consistently sought to align our system with global development goals.”

“However, the transformation we seek will only happen when the teacher who is the implementer, understands, believes in, and owns the policy”, he said.

He encouraged stakeholders and policy makers to focus on providing an educational system that not only produces certificate holders but also individuals with the potential of contributing to the development of the country.

“Education, at its best, is a sacred duty, and a moral contract between generations. We teach not merely to fill minds but to ignite them. We educate not just for today but also tomorrow", he concluded.