Tamale, Dec. 13, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills has urged the University for Development Studies (UDS) and stakeholders to collaborate with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to improve upon the living conditions of the people in the North.

"As you preside over a community of scholars, I urge you to encourage both academics and non-teaching staff in the University to show keen interest in the strategies being developed by SADA as crucial stakeholders", President Mills said.

President Mills said this in an address read on his behalf at the 10th congregation of the UDS in Tamale on Saturday.

A total of 1,471 students graduated from the various faculties this year and were awarded with degrees. Out of the number, 379 graduated with bachelor degrees, four received masters degrees, while 27 earned first class degrees.

Three hundred and sixty three (363) attained second class upper, 922 earned second class lower, 59 got third class degrees and 88 received certificates for diploma programmes.

President Mills asked the new University Council speed up the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor.

He said the position of a Vice-Chancellor was a very important one and called on the Council to look for someone who would be able to provide strategic academic leadership for the University. He tasked the Council to strive to fill all the key positions in the University to provide the necessary direction for the academic facility to grow and develop.

Touching on the establishment of a campus of the UDS at Kintampo in the Brong-Ahafo Region, President Mills asked the authorities to collaborate with the Ministries of Health and Education to resolve any misunderstandings hindering the takeover of the Kintampo Rural Health Training School. He said, Brong-Ahafo remained an integral part of the catchment area of the UDS by law and nothing should be done to impede the establishment of the Kintampo campus of the University.

Professor Kaku Sagary Nokoe, Acting Vice-Chancellor, said a total of 6,003 students were admitted this year for undergraduate programmes, representing 33 per cent increase over last year's figure of 4,003. For the post graduate programmes, he said, the University admitted a total of 170 students, representing 143 per cent increase over last year's figure of 76.

Professor Nokoe said the UDS had introduced five and seven new undergraduate and post graduate programmes and mentioned some of them as renewable natural resources, agribusiness, real estate and land management and biotechnology.