Titles

• Affiliate Global Futures Scholar, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory
• Senior Researcher, Technology Consultancy Centre, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Biography

Dr. George Yaw Obeng is a senior researcher and former Director of Technology Consultancy Centre, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. He is a Barrett Global Fellow of Arizona State University where he served as a visiting faculty from fall 2016 to spring 2017. He is also a fellow of The Energy Center, KNUST. He has been a faculty of KNUST for over 22 years. He teaches quantitative methods, spatial statistics, renewable energy for rural applications and sustainable energy applications for developing world and has been practically involved in the development and study of agro processing equipment. His primary research areas include solar, bioenergy and environment and sustainable engineering design. He holds a PhD in Development Studies with focus on energy access and development, MSc in Appropriate Technology and Development (major in Renewable Energy Technologies) from Flensburg University, Germany, and BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Engineering from KNUST. He has served on several local and international networks and committees including Steering Committee Member of Ghana Jatropha (GHAJA) Project; College of Engineering Board, KNUST; Member Kumasi Business Incubator (KBI); Research Group on Culture Knowledge and Development of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) University of Bonn, Germany; Planning Meeting on ASADI VI agenda for the Energy Access, Pretoria; Advisory Committee on Design and Urbanisation, New York, USA and GlobalResolve of ASU. He has both local and international experience working with EU, CIDA, EUEI-PDF, GEF/UNDP, GEDAP/World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, USAID/IDIN project, MIT D-Lab USA, University of Pennsylvania USA, Olin College USA, Centre for Development Research (ZEF), Bonn-Germany, Arizona State University (ASU) in development focused projects and research. He combines engineering science and planning tools to undertake R&D in energy, environment, quality of life and productive improvements of the poor in Ghana and Africa. Arising out of his R&D efforts is a number of journal publications, conference papers, technical papers and working prototypes

Education

• DAAD Postdoctoral Research, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, 2009
• PhD, Development Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 2008
• Certificate, International Development Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008
• Certificate, Learning Intercultural Compelence, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, 2007
• Certificate, Tool Design, Central Institute of Tool Design, 2000
• MSc, Appropriate Tech & Development, University of Flensburg, 1994
• BSc, Agricultural Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, 1989

Expertise

• solar energy
• bioenergy
• environment