Professor Mary B. Setrana, Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Ghana, has spent the month of August at ACT and ABI in Freiburg as an alumna of the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA).
In a short Q&A, she shares her expectations towards and insights from her stay.
What is your story with ACT/ABI?
My story with ACT/ABI began with the implementation of MIASA in 2018. I was a junior fellow and part of the first cohort of MIASA fellows, focused on migration. Then, I was a lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Centre for Migration Studies. As a MIASA fellow, I worked closely with colleagues from ACT/ABI: Stefan Rother and Franzisca Zanker. Franzisca and I were in the Migrant Representation working group. I got to know Andreas Mehler, he is one of the MIASA Directors. Since then, I have worked with colleagues through MIASA, Research Projects, AMMODI, etc.
What did you aim for during your stay, what was your expectation, and which project did you work on?
My aim was to reconnect with colleagues, learn more about ABI’s work, and work with Franzisca and the PolMig-Team. Also, I wanted to make time for research and independent work. Since I came to ABI, I have reviewed some of my unfinished manuscripts. Franzisca and I have worked on comments from editors on two of our manuscripts. The first manuscript is a discussion piece on Possibilities of a Feminist Migration Future; the second manuscript focuses on Externalisation from an African Feminist Perspective.
Regarding my expectations, I look forward to participating in the African Perspectives on Global Transformations, SGAS/SSEA & VAD Conference in Basel from 26–28 August 2026. Franzisca and I are on a panel on Afro-Feminist Approaches to Research, Policy and Practice. We hope to contribute to ongoing discussions on Afro-feminist approaches to research, policy and practice and strengthen the connections and collaborations developed at ABI.
What was your main take-away from your stay?
Generally, I have found ABI to be fruitful because of the diversity and interactive environment. I have enjoyed the academic serenity, which provides a calm pace for critical writing, thinking, and general work. The discussion on Afrocentricity at the pre-conference event has created space for re-learning and unlearning what it means to research in, on and about Africa. Such co-creation among scholars from different parts of Europe and Africa makes the Afrocentricity concept accessible to those interested in applying it.