In a historic achievement for Ghana and African engineering, Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann, Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana, has been formally inducted as an International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) at a distinguished ceremony held in London, becoming the first Ghanaian ever to receive this prestigious honour.
With this induction, Professor Effah Kaufmann, also Ghana’s beloved National Science and Maths Quiz Mistress, becomes the first Ghanaian since the Academy’s founding in 1976 to receive the coveted post-nominal FREng. Her selection places her among an elite cohort of only nine International Fellows elected worldwide in 2025, and distinguishes her as the sole Ghanaian among the 74 new Fellows announced in September.
Professor Effah Kaufmann’s journey to this historic moment reflects a deep commitment to her homeland and continent. After studying Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, she made a deliberate choice to return home, driven by a clear vision: “I realised that the difference I could make was to bring the subject to Ghana.” That decision led her to become the founding head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ghana. She has since helped to establish other pioneering programmes in Biomedical Engineering, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Audiology, Medical Physics and Prosthetics and Orthotics. Beyond academia, as the beloved host of the Ghana National Science and Math Quiz and the Founder of the Elsie Effah Kaufmann Foundation, she has inspired thousands of young Ghanaians to pursue STEM fields, embodying her role as what she calls a “STEM advocate” working to ensure these subjects are accessible, especially to the underrepresented.
Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann FREng: ‘I realised that the difference I could make was to bring the subject to Ghana.’
he induction ceremony, steeped in tradition and gravitas, saw Professor Effah Kaufmann sign the Academy’s historic roll book alongside some of the world’s most distinguished engineering luminaries, a symbolic moment that inscribes her name, and Ghana’s, in the annals of global engineering excellence.
Professor Effah Kaufmann’s election recognises decades of groundbreaking work in biomedical engineering, particularly her pioneering design of affordable medical technologies for low-resource settings, and her transformative leadership in advancing STEM education across Africa. Her research has directly improved healthcare delivery in underserved communities, while her mentorship has inspired a new generation of African Engineers and Scientists. As noted in her official citation from the Academy, “Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann has founded pioneering biomedical engineering programmes and inspired thousands of children through education and outreach.”
The induction ceremony brought together leaders from industry, government and academia, including RAEng President Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, who welcomed the new Fellows with the following remarks: “These leaders exemplify excellence in engineering and will play a vital role in advancing the Academy’s mission to ‘engineer better lives.’”
The University of Ghana and the College of Basic and Applied Sciences celebrate this landmark achievement as further evidence of the institution’s unwavering commitment to producing globally competitive Engineers and Scientists who develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges. Professor Effah Kaufmann’s Fellowship stands as a testament to what African excellence can achieve on the world stage.
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