This dissertation examines the manifestations of the development discourse in the context of a bilateral South-South program of educational assistance through scholarships provided by the Cuban government at the secondary and postsecondary levels to students from Ghana. The research assesses the meanings attached to this program on the basis of the observations, understandings and perceptions of a group of graduates, and of former administrators who were involved in the design, implementation and/or administration of the program. The study gives legitimacy to the perspectives of a distinct group of knowers in a country of the postcolonial Global South who were socialized into an educational model that differs from the educational context of their home country. The research aims to illuminate the links between the program graduates’ experiences with the Cuban program and their subsequent contributions to Ghanaian society, with particular emphasis on the process of their reintegration. Research questions focus on the study participants’ perceptions regarding the relevance of the Cuban education in regard to academic and practical preparation; the combination of liberal and utilitarian principles of education; access opportunities; and ways in which the Ghanaian government may have encouraged the graduates’ return to Ghana in the context of the global brain drain phenomenon. Upon their return to Ghana, the graduates encountered challenges with respect to cultural disorientation due to the partial adoption of Cuban norms and values. They experienced difficulties integrating into professional life based on a perceived lack of understanding of certain Cuban credentials among Ghanaian employers, and encountered discrimination based on their education in an Eastern Bloc country. Once they had overcome the initial challenges, the graduates felt that the technical and professional aspects of their education, in particular the strong applied focus of their study programs, were well aligned with the Ghanaian context. There was evidence that early recruitment at the secondary level and a defined recruitment strategy resulted in program participation across the 10 Regions of Ghana. A distinct subgroup of graduates currently residing in the Bahamas provided insights into the reasons for their non-return to Ghana or their decision to leave their home country again.

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