The Millar Institute for Transdisplinary and Development (MITDS) has held its first Congregation for 20 students in Bolgatanga with a call on them to be more relevant to society.

The School, which is also known as Millar Open University is affiliated to the University for Development Studies (UDS) and accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB).

Five students who did Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) and four others who did Masters in Philosophy (MPhil), in culture and development as well as 11 students who did Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Peoples and Community Development, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Corporate Secretariatship and Administration Management were awarded the respective degrees.

Speaking at the congregation, Professor Gabriel Teye, the Vice Chancellor of UDS, urged the graduates to make good use of the knowledge and skills acquired during their study in the University to impact society positively and improve livelihoods by finding solutions to societal challenges.

“Feel challenged to keep expanding your horizon in order to make yourself even more relevant and marketable to yourselves, your country and the world at large. I challenge you to be worthy ambassadors of your Alma Mata and shine that light wherever you find yourselves,” he said.

Professor Teye commended the MITDS for offering quality teaching, research and community services, and said it would soon help absorb the many students that might not be able to get admission into the public Universities when the beneficiaries of the double the track policy of Secondary Education were ready for University.

“The government will have to look for more support systems and I see one in the private universities. A quick realization and dealing with this looming challenge will be a better pre-emptive measure,” he said.

Professor David Millar, the President of MITDS, stated that the institution was rooted in the ideology of equipping students with the necessary knowledge and expertise through quality education to enable students find solutions to contemporary African challenges.

“We will concentrate on preparing our students on self-employment opportunities with emphasis on agriculture. We are mindful of the graduate unemployment concerns of the Government of Ghana and the need to link up with the rural industry,” he added.

The University also offers six Months Post-Graduate Certificate courses including policy and strategy studies, information and informatics, university administration, advanced business administration, international relations, and agri-business studies.

According Professor Millar the innovation emanated from persistent demands from the catchment area to have career oriented short courses for those already gainfully employed to upgrade their skills.

The President indicated that the University, in collaboration with the University of Bern in Switzerland and the University of Nairobi in Kenya were implementing a two year community based sustainable food programme at Kalbeo in the Bolgatanga Municipality and Gowrie-Kunkua in the Bongo District to improve livelihoods.

He said, “in the light of all these, MITDS is passionately appealing to the Government of Ghana and the GETFund, any donor or philanthropist, to assist us in these toddling stages of our life with more academic facilities such as ICT services, library, classroom and administration block”.