DR. DENISE DIANA DUNCAN

PROFILE

Denise Diana Duncan holds a PHD in Communication Science from the University of South Africa. She has prior corporate experience in the banking and higher education sectors in customer service, marketing, and public relations.

She is a member of an international research team (Organisational & Research Culture of African Universities) investigating the organisational research culture issues in African Universities. Other team members include scholars from Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. She is a professional member of Women in Public Relations, Ghana, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association, and an affiliate of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana.

She contributed to the first-ever Africa PR & Communications Report, discussing the future of PR and Communications practice through an academic lens. She touched on how vital it is to cultivate a sustainable PR agenda that invests in research and explores industry trends. Her piece establishes the relevance of PR in teaching, learning, and practice for a stronger industry. She is also a columnist for the Business and Financial Times.

Her research interests are in Public Relations Practice and Education, Organizational and Development Communication, Communication Pedagogy and Curriculum Innovation, Leadership and Research Cultures in Higher Education, Gender and Media, Representation, and Cultural Studies (Afrocentric Perspectives), and Work-Integrated Learning, Apprenticeship and Employability in Communication Fields.

Aside from academia, Dr Duncan is the Lead Consultant at Rouge Consult, a strategic communication and research consultancy specialising in integrated communication strategy, public relations, brand positioning, and organisational development. She brings over a decade of combined academic, corporate, and consulting experience to advising public institutions, private organisations, and development-focused entities across Ghana and beyond. She manages teams in the strategy and delivery of brand audits, communication campaign strategies, media and reputation management strategies, CSR and sustainability communication strategies, and capacity building interventions. She has helped businesses in hospitality, wellness, retail, and human resource management revitalise brands, stakeholders, and communication strategies with success.

She is a member of the International Communication Association. She is also a professional member of Women in Public Relations, Ghana, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association, and an affiliate of the Institute of Public Relations.

BASIC INFORMATION

Name: Dr. Denise Diana Duncan

Designation: Senior Lecturer and Head of Department

Department: Communication and Media Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Institutional Email: dduncan@central.edu.gh

Office Location: Room 8, Prof. Yankah Block.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

PhD in Communication Science, University of South Africa, Jul 2021
Master of Philosophy in Communication Studies, University of Ghana School of Communication Studies, Jul 2012
BA. Sociology and the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon, May 2007

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Strategic and Integrated Communication
Gender, Media, and Organizational Power
Development Communication and the Global South
Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Communication
Public Relations Education and Professional Practice
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Communication Pedagogy

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles:

Paulus, K. A., Kalengay, M., & Duncan, D. D. (2025). Exploring gender-based violence against men in African universities. Journal of the British Academy, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/013.a36. (Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science)
Puplampu, B. B., Nkomo, S. M., … Duncan, D. D. (2022). The role of leaders in building research cultures in sub-Saharan African universities: A six-nation study. Africa Journal of Management. . https://doi.org/10.1080/23322373.2022.2039050. (Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science)
Antwi, R., Duncan, D. D., & Tsegah, M. (2019). Establishing the relevance of cooperative education in Ghana. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 20(3), 271–281. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1232895.pdf. (Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science)
Duncan, D. D., & Antwi, R. (2017). Reaching informal sector clients: Communication strategies of Unibank Ghana Limited. Central Inquiry, 3(1), 117–138. http://cuspace.central.edu.gh:8080/cuspace/handle/123456789/414. (Local Publisher)

Book Chapter

Duncan, D. D., & Baah-Ofori, R. (2023). Crisis communication in religious organizations. In Henaku, N., Agbozo, G. E., & Nartey, M. (Eds.), Communication Perspectives on COVID-19 in Ghana. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003330042-6 ISBN 9781032360461. (Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science)

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Most Dedicated and Hardworking Staff, Department of Communication and Media Studies. (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, 2021 2022)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

International Communication Association
Institute of Public Relations (Affiliate)
Women in Public Relations
Organisational Research Culture in Africa (ORCA) Research Team
Fellow, British Academy Writing Programme (Early Career Researchers)

COURSES TAUGHT

Communication Theory
Communication Research Methods
Strategic Integrated Communication
Public Relations
Crisis Communication Management
Organizational Communication
Media Ethics
Digital and New Media Studies
Introduction to Mass Communication
Communication Ethics

PROJECTS AND GRANTS

Secured a grant of USD 1,500 from the British Academy to participate in a writing workshop in Ghana. (12^th – 14^th March, 2024)
Secured a travel grant of USD 4,500 from the British Academy and University of Nottingham, UK to participate in writing for Sustainable Development: Towards strengthening African grant and research writing for publication. University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe (24-26 September 2019)
2019 Deans Award, for efficiency and dedication to work in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS).
Secured a travel grant of GH¢5,000 to participate in a research workshop on Organisational Research Culture in African Universities. Central University, Ghana (April 2018)
Secured a travel grant of GH¢48,000 to participate in a six-nation study on the research culture in higher educational institutions.Qualitative and Quantitative Research Workshop on Organisational research Culture in African Universities. Northwest University, South Africa (April 2017)

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

Leading projects and campaigns to include:

A strategic integrated awareness campaign for the University (COMM FASS WITH US)
Donations to clinics and hospitals
Donation of books to school libraries and volunteering to inculcate a habit of reading into pupils
Free health screening
Draft of corporate social responsibility plan for the corporate affairs unit
Campaigns on sexual harassment, drug abuse and examination malpractice
Provision of tables and chairs for lecturers in lecture rooms
Campaign on Covid 19 and sensitization of students and staff
Admission drive Campaign for Central University
Sanitation campaigns against littering
Activities to encourage students to use their student emails
Recycling campaigns for plastics
Campaign on protecting the environment (Green Central Campaign)
Encouraging vocational skills training among the youth

WORKSHOPS

Career Pathing and Professional Development. A presentation made at the True Vine Assembly. 21^st April, 2024.
Antwi, R. & Duncan, DD. 2023. Democracy, digital infrastructure and equitable access in Ghana [PowerPoint presentation]. Resilient Media for More Democratic Institutions and Soceity [Webinar Paper Presentation]. DW Akademie, Germany. 9th October, 2023.
International Day of the Rural Woman. Moderated an agriculture session for women on Market Approaches to Marketing Farm Produce organised by MTN foundation and Holland Greentech. Akuse, 13^th October, 2022
Getting it right, the customers’ way. A presentation made at Holland Greentech, East Legon on 5^th January, 2022
Organisational Research Culture in Africa Workshop, 17^th April – 22^nd April, 2017. North West University, Mafikeng Campus, Mafikeng, South Africa.
Pedagogical Leadership in Africa (Pedal) Western Hub. Swiss Spirit Hotel & Suites Alisa, Accra, Ghana. Workshop attended from 31^st July – 9^th August 2019.