From 26–27 May 2026, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) hosted the Reimagining Care Conference, themed “Reimagining Care: Relationships, Responsibilities, and Care in Africa”. The conference was organised by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, UCC, in partnership with the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria.

The event brought together scholars, researchers, students, postdoctoral fellows, policymakers, and practitioners from Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Canada, and other countries. The SGS Auditorium was filled with participants eager to engage in discussions on care, social relationships, and responsibility in contemporary African societies. The opening ceremony on 26 May was attended by senior university officials, including the Vice-Chancellor’s Representative, who served as Guest of Honour, and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, who chaired the event. Following welcome remarks by the Head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, both the Guest of Honour and the Chair highlighted the importance of care-centred scholarship and collaboration.

A key highlight of the ceremony was the keynote address by Prof. Nolwazi Mkhwanazi, Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship at the University of Pretoria. In her lecture, “From Crisis to Care: The Labour of Repair,” she invited participants to view care not merely as a response to crisis but as an ongoing practice of repair, responsibility, and social transformation. The opening session was enlivened by a cultural performance from a Cape Coast cultural troupe, which celebrated Ghanaian heritage and added a vibrant atmosphere to the proceedings.

Over the two days, the conference provided a valuable platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and critical reflection on care in Africa, while strengthening scholarly networks and fostering new collaborations among researchers and practitioners.