A total of Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety-Nine students from Faculties and Schools in Tamale, Nyankpala, Wa, and Navrongo, on Saturday, November 18, 2023, graduated from the University for Development Studies (UDS) with various Degrees. Out of this number, 4,242 representing 96.4% were undergraduate students while 157, representing 3.6% were postgraduate students. 161 of the undergraduate students obtained First Class degrees, 16 of the postgraduate students received PhD Degrees, with 124 receiving Masters Degrees whilst the remaining 15 students graduated with Postgraduate Diplomas.

Prof. Seidu Al-hassan, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of UDS stated that the congregation was not only a ceremony for issuing certificates to graduands, but also a celebration of their hard work and diligence as well as to offer opportunities for self-assessment and self-renewal of the University and its stakeholders. The graduation ceremonies also serve as a time when the university reflects on its mission and vision and celebrates the achievements of its graduates, takes stock of its important activities, provide updates to its valued stakeholders, and envisage the future.

The Vice-Chancellor mentioned some of the major milestones the university achieved in the past year, including the completion of the Silver Jubilee Building which was a pledge made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018, the progress of work on the School of Nursing and Midwifery building, the 4-storey lecture hall and office complex on the Nyankpala Campus, the construction of a 2 number 300-seater auditorium on the Dungu Campus, the commencement of work on the completion of 2-storey 4-unit 2-bedroom block of flats for the ICT Directorate, the completion of the ground floor of the University Clinic on the Dungu Campus, and the renovation and conversion of a 4-storey 8-unit bedroom flats into offices succeed,” he added.

Professor Seidu Al-Hassan, reiterated the university’s commitment to developing the requisite human resource needs for Ghana and the world at large. “I am very confident that our graduates have been equipped with the knowledge and skills in their respective disciplines to lead the process of change in their communities.” He added.

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Saani Alhassan Shaibu, who represented President Akufo-Addo, congratulated the students on their achievements and urged them to go out and contribute towards the development of the nation.  “I encourage you to spare no effort in shaping a better Ghana.”

Most of the graduating students were admitted at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the students started their university education under unusual circumstances, with most of their lectures taking place online. Despite the challenges that confronted them, the students put in their best, producing some 161 first-class students. Some deserving students were awarded plaques, laptops, and cash amounts. The overall best student, Francis Mbawine Lambon, from the School of Engineering at the UDS Nyankpala campus, took home five other prizes on the occasion.

The University also conferred an honorary doctorate degree on the Head of the Antimicrobial Resistance Unit at Complutense University in Madrid and Adjunct Professor of Biotechnology at the University for Development Studies in Ghana, Professor Bruno Gonzalez-Zorn, in appreciation of his selfless dedication to the growth of the UDS.

The Acting Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, announced efforts to fast-track the accreditation process and clear up the backlog of over two hundred cases pending before the commission.

The commission has also created an online portal that will soon be piloted as part of efforts to enhance the accreditation process.

In October 2023, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) announced the suspension of new accreditation applications until January 2024. The Acting Director General of GTEC explained that the commission took the decision to sanitize the process and position it to work with tertiary institutions to achieve their academic targets. He announced new strategies to streamline the process and make it more efficient.

“GTEC has set up a special purpose vehicle dubbed accelerated accreditation committee. The objective of this committee is to speedily, though without compromising quality, clear the backlog of unaccredited programmes in our system. I must say, Mr. Vice Chancellor, this committee is working with supersonic speed, and we hope to have a clean slate of accreditation environments entering next year,” he disclosed.

Story by
Abdul-Hayi Moomen
(UDS Media)