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Dr William Ackah wins prestigious Fulbright Award to the US

Lecturer in Community and Voluntary Sector Studies to undertake 12-month study at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Dr William Ackah has received a Fulbright All Disciplines Award to enable him to research at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on one of the most prestigious and selective scholarship programmes operating world-wide.

Dr Ackah – lecturer in Community and Voluntary Sector Studies, who is based within Birkbeck’s Department of Geography, Environment and Development Studies (GEDS) – has been selected to undertake research on the impact of gentrification on African-American church congregations and communities in the Larimer and Hill Districts of Pittsburgh and to compare their experiences to those of African and African Caribbean communities in two London Boroughs. 

Dr Ackah and the other 46 British grantees of the 2016-17 Fulbright cohort celebrated their success as they met US Ambassador Matthew Barzun at his official London residence, Winfield House during a reception to celebrate US-UK exchange programmes on Wednesday, 15 June.

The US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship programme, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university. The Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.

Commenting on receiving the award, Dr Ackah said:  “I am very excited and honoured to receive such a prestigious award. It provides an excellent platform and wonderful opportunity to engage in research that will hopefully make a positive difference to the lives of marginalised minority communities both in the US and the UK.”

Penny Egan, Executive Director, US-UK Fulbright Commission said: “I know our 2016 cohort will do us great credit during their time in the US and beyond. Only exceptional scholars and students win Fulbright awards: one of the world’s most competitive merit-based international scholarships. In the 70th year of the Special Relationship, we are proud to send the best of British academia to the US.”

Dr Ackah will spend his Fulbright year at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Metro Urban Institute, conducting research on the impact of urban regeneration schemes on African American church congregations.

About Dr William Ackah

  • William Ackah is a lecturer in Community and Voluntary Sector Studies. He holds a PhD in Government from the University of Manchester which was awarded Political Studies Association best dissertation award in 2006. He is a co-convenor of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race and co-curriculum convenor of the Black British Studies Association. 
  • William has a passion for tackling racialized inequalities and for improving prospects and outcomes for peoples of African descent across the globe.  As a keen lover of theatre and African American cultural expression he is excited to be spending a year in Pittsburgh the city of the illustrious playwright August Wilson.


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