SUNY Geneseo welcomes talk from Professor Akonnor
“Give to Gain” talk gives students new perspective on gender issues
Photo courtesy of Geneseo.edu
This past Monday, Apr. 21, 2026, SUNY Geneseo hosted a guest speaker, Professor Augustina Akonnor, in the multicultural center. Professor Akonnor, a faculty member at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, led an engaging and informative presentation titled "Give to Gain: Women Entrepreneurs as Catalysts for Innovation and Sustainable Development in Ghana." The event, while publicized to all students and faculty, was primarily attended by many students focused on Black or gender and sexuality studies.
This talk centered on critical themes within African and diasporic experiences, encouraging all students and faculty attending to think beyond the simplified narratives of identity and culture. Professor Akonnor specifically discussed the role of women entrepreneurs in Ghana’s economic and social development, focusing on both the opportunities and complex systemic barriers they face. Drawing on research in the field as well as her own experiences, Akonnor discussed how women in Ghana often have to navigate structural, institutional, and sociocultural challenges when starting and growing businesses. The barriers women in Ghana face can include many things, including limited access to funding, restrictive social expectations, and gaps in policy support—all of which can extend to women in other nations across the world.
The talk emphasized the transformative potential of women-led enterprises in Ghana and beyond. Akonnor explored how gender-sensitive public support systems, such as targeted funding initiatives and training programs, can create more sustainable entrepreneurial growth. She asserted that by investing in women entrepreneurs, nations like Ghana can create more drive for innovation, strengthen local economies, and promote more equitable development outcomes.
Professor Akonnor is recognized for her work in international relations, gender studies, and African development. Her scholarship explores many areas, however, her primary specialization is on the scope of gender and public administration alongside the intersections of governance and social equity. Her research frequently examines how governance, diplomacy, and social equity intersect, particularly in the ways that African nations engage with global systems.
Coming from a strong academic and policy background, Akonnor brought both theoretical insight to the talk as well as practical applications of her work. This made her a compelling speaker on a discussion that served students interested in both global affairs and African studies, as well as how gender impacts those spaces.
This talk, among many offered by the Black and Africana Studies department, offered students and faculty an opportunity to deepen their own understanding of global African perspectives.
Geneseo’s Black & Africana Studies program regularly hosts speakers, artists, and scholars to expand conversations about race, identity, and history. According to their website, the department also “co-sponsors the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration each spring, as well as other dynamic programs.” Akonnor’s event reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to bringing influential scholars to campus for the purpose of expanding knowledge and understanding between communities.
In continuing the department's programming, there will be two more events held on Apr. 30 and May 1, featuring Dr. Enrique Okenve. The event on Apr. 1 is his talk called “Setting Africanness and Blackness Apart? Discourse of Domination across the late Black Atlantic,” which will take place in the Doty Tower Room from 5 to 6 p.m. Held on May 1, the second event will be a meet-and-greet with him in the multicultural center from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.