By: Murtala Issah
Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Abass Apaak, has commended the University for Development Studies (UDS) for its pioneering Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), describing it as an important model for connecting academic learning to the practical development needs of communities.
He said universities must increasingly move beyond classroom teaching, journals and academic conferences to ensure that knowledge and research translate into practical solutions that improve the lives of ordinary people.
Dr Apaak made the remarks at the investiture of Professor Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS at the University’s Tamale Campus on Thursday.
He said UDS, by virtue of its unique development-oriented mandate, is well positioned to demonstrate how higher education could directly contribute to national and community development.
The Deputy Minister particularly praised the University’s TTFPP, which exposes students to communities and enables them to gain practical experience while engaging directly with development challenges.
He said such initiatives must be strengthened to ensure that university education produces graduates who not only acquire academic knowledge but also understand the realities and needs of the communities they are expected to serve.
Dr Apaak further challenged universities to ensure that research findings influence public policy and contribute to addressing challenges in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, business and local development.
“Research must travel beyond journals and conferences. It must enter cabinet memoranda, district development plans, farms, clinics, classrooms, businesses and community meetings,” he said.
He urged UDS to measure its success not only by the number of academic publications or physical infrastructure it develops, but also by the real impact of its research, graduates and programmes on society. Dr Apaak also appealed to the new Vice-Chancellor to promote unity and fairness within the University community, urging all stakeholders to place the interest of UDS above personal, ethnic, sectional or other considerations.
He encouraged Professor Iddrisu to provide leadership that brings together the diverse interests within the University and ensures that every member of the community feels valued and treated fairly.
The Deputy Minister said the University could only achieve its full potential when its leadership, staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders worked together towards a common purpose.
He appealed to the University community to support the new Vice-Chancellor while holding his administration accountable.
“Support does not mean the absence of accountability, and accountability does not mean hostility,” he said.
In his acceptance address, Professor Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu pledged to advance academic excellence, strengthen partnerships and internationalisation, and deepen the University’s engagement with governments, civil society organisations, alumni, communities and institutions around the world.
He also promised to uphold good governance, accountability and ethical leadership, stressing that transparency under his administration would be “routine, not occasional”.
Professor Iddrisu said his administration would work towards financial sustainability by broadening the University’s resource base while ensuring that all initiatives remained professionally managed and aligned with UDS’s academic mission.
He pledged to mobilise support from alumni and philanthropic organisations and pursue strategic ventures to support the continued growth and development of the University.
The new Vice-Chancellor expressed gratitude to the Governing Council for the confidence reposed in him, describing his appointment as a call to serve not only the University but also contribute to the development of northern Ghana and the country as a whole.
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