Introduce yourself to our readers!

I am Isaac Kwesi Ampah. I was born in Senya-Beraku in the Awutu-Senya District of Ghana. I graduated with a First Class Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Economics in 2009 and Master of Philosophy Degree in Economics in 2012 from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. I worked as a Teaching and Research Assistant in the Department of Economics, University of Cape Coast, Ghana from 2009 to 2012 and as a Development Planner for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in Ghana from 2012 to 2016. I Am a highly motivated, resourceful and ambitious economist with extensive knowledge in economic theory and its practical implications.

How do you like the lifestyle in Szeged? Do you enjoy being an international student here so far?

Szeged is a great city dedicated to its students, it is very cheap and the people are very kind. I am not surprised it is considered one of the best university towns in Europe. It is a perfect place to live, to study and do research – as a student, I cannot speak highly enough of Szeged. Culturally the city is pretty heterogeneous with so many international students which provides a lot of potential for academic accomplishments.

How would you describe the research environment at the University of Szeged based on your personal observations?

The university is highly research oriented so I am not surprised it belongs to the top universities in Europe. PhD students are allowed to take part in several researches and they can present their papers as well. The university also offers a great library with online access with a VPN connection to its archives and online journals.

Could you please briefly share some information about your research topic? What was the source of inspiration for it?

I am working on External Debt, Capital Flight and Economic Growth in Ghana.

According to the Global Development Finance (2009), “every country in the world aims at achieving economic growth and development”. However, this is only possible if a country has adequate resources to finance it. In developing countries especially those in Sub-Sahara Africa, the resources are not readily available to finance the optimal level of economic growth and development. Basically, for these reasons many developing counties yearning for economic growth inevitably resort to external financing to bridge the gap between their savings and investments.

However, the massive and continuous accumulation of external debt by Sub-Saharan African Countries over the past few decades have given rise to concerns about the detrimental effects of such debt on economic growth. Again, fears are often expressed that excessive external debt burdens will threaten financial stability with adverse consequences for the real economy or that increases in debt will create political pressure that will inevitably accelerate inflation (summers, 1986).

Ghana in its bid to achieve economic development resorted to external borrowings over the years and so face the same question of whether external debt contributes to its economic progress.

Furthermore, as the severity of external indebtedness becomes ever so pronounced, so does capital flight. Some in the international donor community has viewed this outward movement of capital as compounding the problem of external debt management and has suggested that meaningful discussions of the solutions to external debt will need to wait until the issues of capital flight are dealt with. Indeed, some researchers have suggested that solutions to capital flight be made a precondition to discussions on external debt relief.

What challenges do you expect to face during the research journey?

The biggest challenge I expect to face is funding. Research can be very expensive and one needs external funding to rely on. If funding is difficult to come by, I guess research will become very stressful.

Do you have any sketched plans regarding your professional development in long-term perspectives? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Yeah, in the next 5 years I hope to be a professional policy analyst and be able to carry out independent research, hence my decision to pursue the PhD programme. By pursuing a PhD in Economics I hope to become a professional in the field and be able to improve upon policy and decision-making that would strengthen the sustainable development of my country.

What’s your hobby?

I enjoy playing soccer and tennis with my colleagues especially on weekends.

What was your dream job as a child?

A lecturer.

Would the 20 years old you like the person you are now?

Sure, I think so.

Did your parents influence your career choice?

Not really, as neither of my parents had formal education so they didn’t have enough information to even guide me let alone influence me. So I have to go through everything by myself.

Is there anything you would do differently if you could go back in time?

I don’t really think so. I am happy in the field I am now and I think doing something else would have spelt my doom.

Which languages ​​do you speak and what level?

English, Excellent

French, Basic

Do you play any instruments?

Not yet.

Who is an icon/hero for you?

My mom.