Charlie Cobbinah

I grew up in Ghana with a deep belief in one thing: that education changes lives. Not education as a transaction, a degree exchanged for a job, but education as a process of becoming. Of learning to see the world differently, and to act on what you see.

That belief has shaped everything I have done. It is why I taught Science and Mathematics at Hanson Memorial School in Accra for five years, why I founded We Are Inspirors, a community organisation empowering young people to pursue purpose, and why I am now at the University of Edinburgh pursuing a PhD in Sustainable African Futures.

The question driving my research is one I keep returning to: what does it mean for an African university to truly decolonise? Not in rhetoric, but in practice, in what it teaches, who it listens to, and what kind of futures it believes itself to be building.

Research

My research sits at the intersection of decolonial theory, African higher education, and sustainable development. Through the Wits–Edinburgh Sustainable African Futures (WESAF) Doctoral Programme, I am examining how decolonial discourse is reshaping the institutional identity of African universities, not just what they teach, but what they believe themselves to be for.

I am currently based as a Visiting Doctoral Researcher at the University of Ghana, where I collaborate with Dr Delali Amuzu of the College of Education. My secondary research interests include the philosophy of education, youth development, and social policy.

We Are Inspirors

In 2019, Charlie founded We Are Inspirors, a community organisation built on a simple conviction: that young people, given the right community, resources, and opportunities, will become the best version of themselves.

Through mentorship programmes, workshops, and outreach initiatives, We Are Inspirors promotes education, leadership, and self-development among young people in Ghana. Charlie coordinates a team of volunteers, builds partnerships with schools and local institutions, and facilitates events that foster personal growth and community impact.

Education

• 2023 –

  PhD in Sustainable African Futures

  University of Edinburgh · University of the Witwatersrand · WESAF Programme

• 2024

  MSc by Research in Sustainable African Futures

  University of Edinburgh

• 2023

  BSc in Administration

  University of Ghana, Accra