By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Yikene (U/E), Nov 24, GNA – The Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies (MITDS) in Bolgatanga has marked a decade of existence with reaffirmation of leading high quality tertiary education and innovative research that solves contemporary challenges.
Also known as Millar Open University, the school was established in 2014 and is considered the first fully Ghanaian owned university attempting to respond to the advocacy for the institution of the Open University System into the country’s educational system.
Affiliated to the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, the Millar Open University, over the last 10 years, had been pursuing research-based academic activities, contributing to rural development, and bridging the gap between academia and industry.
The school is known for its consistent advocacy for a grass economy particularly for Northern Ghana to help fight bushfires, climate change and improve agriculture productivity through Grass Charcoal Briquettes
Currently, the University has put on hold undergraduate programmes and only focusing on post-graduate programmes including Masters and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes to increase research and development as well as rural community visibility.
Speaking at the 10th Anniversary celebration which also coincided with the school’s 6th graduation ceremony in Bolgatanga, Professor David Millar, President, MTDS, described the University’s journey as a “significant milestone” in the life of the institution.
Throughout the last 10 years, Professor Millar disclosed, the institution had contributed significantly to the growth and training of students to equip them with the relevant skills to help address the challenges facing Ghana and the African continent.
He said apart from the University working to revamp some of the undergraduate and certificate programmes, it had developed additional unique and marketable academic programmes in the form of research upgrading.
“This is in the form of our recently designed Post-Doctoral and Post-Master Research Programme,” Professor Millar said.
“This appears to be the first of its kind. These programmes are meant to upgrade the research skills, techniques, and knowledge of young academics who will want to conduct innovative research of international quality. We are currently sourcing funds to kick-start this programme.”
Additionally, he said, plans were advanced to introduce one year pre-diploma programme to assist graduates of the senior high school who had failed Mathematics and or English to help them into the diploma programme.
“Otherwise, the student will also have an additional Pre-Diploma Certificate to add to his/her SHS Certificate that might open doors for future employment. It will keep adolescent girls in school especially longer thus reducing teenage pregnancies of school dropouts. This will be our special initiative, contributing to the Free SHS Programme.
The President added that the management of the school had intensified efforts at international visibility by way of grantsmanship, networking, collaboration, and publications as well as hope to leverage their recent efforts into scholarships awards, in-part or in-full, for students, in the deprived area.
“I make a firm declaration that MITDS will continue a relentless journey in terms of providing quality tertiary education with a difference and meeting contemporary and future demand-driven quality teaching, learning, research, and community outreach despite our financial constraints,” he added.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, Upper East Regional Minister, commended the MITDS for becoming a center of academic excellence, shaping the intellectual and professional future of countless students to help address challenges facing the country and beyond.
“Let us work to foster stronger partnerships to produce graduates who are not only skilled professionals but responsible citizens, ready to tackle the challenges of our time,” he added.
The occasion was also used to graduate eleven PhD and five MPhil students from 2023 and 2024.
GNA