Christian Service University launches maiden academic journal
The Christian Service University in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region has launched a maiden peer-reviewed academic journal.
Dubbed “Journal of Applied of Applied Sciences, Arts and Business (JASAB)”, the journal aims to promote rigorous research and diverse scholarly dialogue across three disciplines, namely applied sciences, arts and business.
Through an extensive call for papers circulated both electronically and physically, 30 submissions were received and after a rigorous review process, 15 articles comprising 13 research papers and two book reviews were selected for publication in the first edition.
The contributions to the maiden issue came from scholars across Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria and from academic institutions.
The articles in the inaugural issue span a diverse range of subjects, including biblical and theological studies, African Hermeneutics, political theology and economic and development studies.
Others are education and pedagogy, business and marketing, public health and gender studies, linguistic theology and historical and contemporary Christian practices.
Aspiration
Speaking at the official launch of the journal at the institution's auditorium, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Kofi Afrane, said that since assuming office in 2015, one of his long-standing aspirations has been to establish a vibrant, high-quality and internationally recognised journal for the university.
“Today, I am proud to say that the editorial appointed in October 2024 to oversee the publishing of a journal has been fully delivered with distinction,” he said.
He said the journal would serve as a platform for interdisciplinary scholarly engagement, cutting-edge research and knowledge dissemination in line with the university’s commitment to academic excellence.
He stated that the challenge ahead was the sustainability of the journal, which involved three pillars, namely leadership, research and funding, stating that the pillars were crucial for a sustained future of the journal.
Testament
Delivering the keynote address, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor David Asamoah, said the launching of the journal was a testament to the university’s vision to contribute actively to global scholarship, provide a platform for original thought and promote critical discourse within and beyond academic borders.
He stated that academic journals held a unique and indispensable place within the intellectual ecosystem as they are the vessels through which new ideas are disseminated, validated and critiqued.
On sustainability, Prof. Asamoah underscored the need for securing resources and partnerships that would ensure regular publication, indexing and wide dissemination, as well as building a strong pipeline of high-quality submissions by nurturing a culture of quality research and writing.
Commitment
The Editor-in-Chief, JASAB, Rev. Professor Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, said the rich variety of the journal underscored JASAB’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and its relevance to Africa’s socio-economic realities.
“To enhance academic credibility and digital visibility, each published article has been assigned a Digital Object Identifier registered through CrossRef,” he said.
Looking ahead, he stated that the team was undertaking several initiatives, including organising author and reviewer training workshops to build internal capacity and ensure adherence to high publication standards.
A former Chairman of the National Peace Council, the Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, in a remark, congratulated the university for the journal and said “this journal will contribute to knowledge acquisition and human understanding of various fields”.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh.
