
Dr Dr. Kwaku Arhin-Sam
Lecturer | School of Social Sciences
Dr Dr. Kwaku Arhin-Sam
Ph.D., M.A., B.Ed.
Director | Friedensau Institute for Evaluation
Lecturer | School of Social Sciences
An der Ihle 5A
39291 Möckern-Friedensau
Raum: LÜP 307
Telefon: +49 (0) 3921-916-144
Fax: +49 (0) 3921-916-144
E-Mail:
Profile
Dr. Kwaku Arhin-Sam is the Director of the Friedensau Institute for Evaluation (FIFE) and a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences. As an international migration and development specialist, he combines expertise in global development, sociology, education, monitoring and evaluation, strategic management and business development with over a decade of research, teaching, supervision and policy engagement. His research focuses on several key areas, including migration governance, return and reintegration, transnational migration, diasporas, policy analysis, identity politics, and monitoring and evaluation across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
In his teaching, Dr. Arhin-Sam covers essential topics such as Migration Governance and Practice, Migration and Development, Development Economics, Empirical Research Methods, and the Monitoring and Evaluation of Humanitarian Interventions. He supervises a diverse portfolio of international research and theses related to migration, gender, humanitarian policy, and socio-economic development. Dr. Arhin-Sam holds a PhD in Development Sociology from Constructor (Jacobs) University and the University of Bremen in Germany. He is also an associate fellow at the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute in Freiburg, Germany, and serves on the Diaspora Advisory Board for the GIZ/BMZ Migration for Development (MEG) program.
Education
2014-2018 | PhD | Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS), Jacobs University and University of Bremen, Germany |
2016 | Certificate | Geographical Information Systems (GIS) & Remote Sensing, United Nations University, Legon, Ghana |
2010-2013 | M.A | International Social Science, Friedensau Adventist University, Germany |
2004–2008 | B.Ed. | Social Science, University of Cape Coast, Ghana |
Employment
Since 2016 | Freelance Consultant for Development Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Organizational Development (Project Monitoring and Evaluations, Social and Development Policy Analysis, Project Management, Capacity Building Trainings) |
2019 | Researcher, West Africa Migration Governance (WAMIG), Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut, Freiburg, Germany |
2014 | Scientific Research Assistant, Department for Social Anthropology, University of Bayreuth, Germany |
2013–2014 | Research Associate, Faculty of Social Science, Friedensau Adventist University, Germany |
2009–2010 | Teaching/Administrative Assistant, Faculty of Arts, University of Cape Coast, Ghana |
Professional Engagements
Since 2019 | Associate Fellow, Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut-Freiburg |
Since 2018 | Founder (Non-executive Director), Centre for Return and i-Migration (CRIM), Valley View University, Techiman Campus, Ghana |
2017–2019 | Consultant, Friedensau International Admissions project, Friedensau Adventist University, Germany |
2019 | External Consultant and Evaluator, Give them a Chance Project, Petit-Guave, Haiti for ADRA Switzerland and ADRA Haiti |
2012a | External Evaluation Consultant: ADRA International, Haiti, 2012 Network-funded Earthquake Response, ADRA International in Haiti |
2012b | Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, ADRA Ghana, Ghana, 2012 |
2012c | Impact assessment Consultant, ADRA Ghana Microfinance Program, Ghana |
2011 | Project Monitoring consultant on Sinti and Roma Community Project for ADRA Germany, ADRA Ukraine. |
Selected Publications
Books:
Arhin-Sam, K. (2019) "Return Migration, Reintegration and Sense of Belonging; The Case of Skilled Ghanaian Returnees"; Baden-Baden, Germany; Nomos Publications.
Academic reports and Articles:
Arhin-Sam, K., (2019) " The Political Economy of Migration Governance in Nigeria"; Freiburg; Arnold Bergstraesser Institute.
Arhin-Sam, K., & Zanker, F., (2019) “Nigeria at a Crossroads: The Political Stakes of Migration Governance”; MEDAM Policy Brief No. 2019/4, IfW, Kiel
Arhin-Sam, K. Zanker, F., Altrogge, J., & Jegen, L., (2019) "Challenges in EU-African Migration Cooperation: West African Perspectives on Forced Return";MEDAM Policy Brief No. 2019/4, IfW, Kiel
Arhin-Sam, K. (2013) "Clients and Microfinance services: Views from bellow"; AKEZ Working Papers, Vol. 2; Friedensau, Germany.
Technical reports:
Arhin-Sam, K. (2020), "Statelessness Reduction and Community sensitisation in Thailand" Annual project evaluation report; ADRA Switzerland
Arhin-Sam, K., Daphline J. (2019). “Give Them A Chance: Education for Restavek Children in Haiti"; Interim Evaluation Report; ADRA Switzerland.
Arhin-Sam, K. (2017). International Students Admission Processes in Friedensau and Germany ,Friedensau Adventist University, Germany
Arhin-Sam, K. Ndikumana, S. (2012). The 2010 Haiti Earthquake and ADRA’s Relief projects Evaluation research report presented to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) -International, U.S. A
Arhin-Sam, K. (2012) Review of ADRA-Ghana’s Microfinance Program. Research report presented to ADRA Ghana.
Research projects (Academic)
Dates | Role | Description | Funder |
Ongoing | Principal Investigator | Assessing the socio-political, economic, and demographic situation and resources in the Jerichower Land, Municipality of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany | Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth |
Ongoing | Principal Researcher | Assessing the lived experiences of immigrants in Germany | - |
2023 | Lead Researcher | Analysing Germany’s new migration policy and its implications for African countries | Funded by the African Research Institute, Germany |
2023 | Principal Researcher | Examining the EU-migration partnership with Niger | Funded by Brot für die Welt and Misereor |
2021 | Principal Researcher | Assessing the actors and interests in the Ghana–EU migration partnership | Funded by the German Council for Foreign Relations |
2020–2021 | Principal Investigator | Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on academic and student life in Friedensau | Funded by Friedensau Adventist University |
2020 | Principal Investigator | Analyzing the emerging developments from the EU’s migration action plan for Nigeria | Funded by Migration Control.info |
2019–2020 | Principal Investigator | The political economy of migration governance in Nigeria | Funded by the Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) |
2019–2020 | Co-Researcher | West Africa Migration Governance (WAMIG) | Funded by the Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) |
2019 | Co-Investigator | Assessing the West African perspectives on challenges in EU-Africa migration cooperation | Funded by the Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration (MEDAM) |
2014–2018 | Principal Researcher | Return migration, belonging and reintegration of skilled return Ghanaians from Europe and North America | German Government Excellence Initiative |
Presentations
- Migration Governance and The Politics Of Shaming; Nigeria And Irregular Migration, at Governing Migration outside ‘Fortress Europe’ conference at University of Cambridge, 16–17 September 2019.
- ‘Conceptualising Sense of Belonging’ paper presented at the third CEGRAD, UCC Summer School on the Engendered Politics of Place and Belonging Pempamsie Hotel, Cape Coast 16th – 27th July 2018.
- ‘Return Migration and Qualitative Research’ paper presented at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) Summer School on Good Work in Academia, Berlin, 28th May – 1st June, 2018.
- ‘Interrogating Citizenship and Perceptions: Ghana’s Movers and Stayers Paradox’ paper presented at the International Migration Conference, Centre for Migration Studies, Legon, Ghana, 26th – 27th October 2017.
- ‘Return Migration and Post-return Perceptions’ paper presented at African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) Conference, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, 12th – 14th October 2017.
- ‘Returnees and Land Conflicts in Ghana” paper presented at the second CEGRAD, UCC Summer School on Intersectional Perspectives on Pastoralism, Migration and Displacement, Cape Coast 24th July– 4th August 2017.
- Panel on Land commodification, Land tenure and Gender in Africa at the 7th European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) 2017 with the theme: Urban Africa - Urban Africans: New encounters of the rural and the urban, Centre for African Studies Basel, Switzerland 29th June – 1st July, 2017. Panel Chair.
- Curriculum review workshop for the M.A. in International Social Science, Theologische Hochschule Friendensau, Germany. Resource Person, 24th March –4th April 2017.
- ‘Trajectories of Return: Returnees in The Eyes of Others’ paper presented at the German Sociological Congress under the section: Entwicklungssoziologie und Sozialanthropologie Offene Gesellschaften? Lebenswelten von Flüchtlingen im Globalen Süden, University of Bamberg, Germany, 27th – 29th September 2016.
- Cape Coast Harmattan School on Re-Activating Gender-Sensitive Research on Land: Land Commoditization, Land Tenure and Gender in Africa, held at the Sasakawa Conference Centre, UCC, Cape Coast, Ghana, February to March 2016. Facilitator.
- Summer School on Doing and Communicating Qualitative Research, participation and presentation of research methods, Kingston University London, United Kingdom, 4th – 8th July 2016; Participant.
- ‘From Integration to Reintegration; A Conceptual Framing’ dissertation presentation at the Innovative Learning Week, Firbush Retreat for PhD Researchers, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 15th – 17th February 2016.
- ‘Conceptualizing Reintegration and Sense of Belonging; An Analytical Model for Return Migration’ paper presented at the International Conference on Labour Migration and Industrial Citizenship: Albanians on the Move – Citizenship, Identity and Development, University of New York Tirana, Albania, 23rd – 25th June 2015.
Teaching
Since 2013 | Adjunct lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Friedensau Adventist University M.A Courses: Development Economics Social Research Methods Migration and Refugee studies Working Approaches in Humanitarian Aid Science and Innovation management Interdisciplinary Analysis of Development Cooperation |
2017–2018 Winter semester | Co-Lecturer, University of Bremen, Germany B.A. Course Sociology in English |
2017–2018 Winter semester | Co-Lecturer, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany B.A. Course Academic and Professional Skills, A University-wide Foundation Course |
2008–2010 | Teaching Assistant B.Ed/BCom Dstance education Course Management Information Systems (MIS) |
Professional Memberships
Since 2017 | Member: African Studies Association of Africa |
Since 2017 | Member: African Migration, Mobility, and Displacement (AMODI) |
Since 2017 | Member: Africa-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies (AEGIS) |
Since 2017 | Co-Editor, AKEZ Working Papers |