Millar Open University holds fifth matriculation ceremony for postgraduate students

Twenty postgraduate students have been matriculated into the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies also known as Millar Open University (MITDS) to pursue Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) and Master of Arts (MA) in Culture and Development Studies.

Whilst the fifteen of the students have been given admission to study PHD in Culture and Development Studies, five of the students are also studying MA in Culture and Development Studies.

Additionally the University which is accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB ) and affiliated to the University For Development Studies(UDS) situated at the Yikine community, a suburb of the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, also matriculated a number of students into the undergraduate programmes in Peoples and Community Development and Corporate Secretaryship and Administration.

Performing the Sixth Matriculation Year Three of the 2016/2017 Students Ceremony on the main Campus at the Yikine community on Saturday, the Founder and the President of the University who was also the former Pro-Vice Chancellor of UDS, Professor Dr. David Millar, announced that the MITDS have also designed six Months Post-Graduate Certificate Courses in Policy and Strategy Studies, Information and Informatics, University Administration, Advance Business Administration, International Relations and Agri-Business Studies.

“This is as a result of the persistent demands made by the general public from the university’s catchment area; to have career oriented short courses for those already gainfully employed”, he stated.

Professor Dr. Millar mentioned that the MITDS runs programmes that were very unique from the other universities in the country and indicated that apart from the post graduate students being trained by the university to come out with their dissertation , the University also supports them to publish their dissertation into books like it is done in the developed world.

“Recently we have set up a Unit that edits, proof-reads, and re-structures final Post-graduate Thesis Works (especially PhDs Thesis) into Published Books, like it is done in Europe and other Advance Countries. This novelty adds value to the efforts put by students to write a Thesis, and a Book is more presentable for Academic Visibility. It is an opportunity to have at least one Book in your life time. We will encourage all Post-graduate students of MITDS and beyond to take advantage of this facility’’, Professor Dr. Millar told the matriculates.

He indicated that apart from the establishment of the Ghana Journal for Culture and Development (CULTRAD), a refereed journal developed by the school which affords the post graduate students to publish their Term Paper whilst pursuing their programmes, the post graduate students are also assisted by the University to publish their works externally whilst in school.

He said the School was mindful of Graduate unemployment and the concerns of the Government to link students up with industries and gave the assurance that the MITDS would continue to concentrate on preparing of students on self-employment opportunities with an emphasis on agriculture while they are studying their programmes.

Whilst indicating that the University was very committed to rolling out more Masters and PhD programmes along with the current BSc programmes it had developed, Professor Dr. Millar stressed that the University would also intensify its effort at Research and would therefore be responding to calls for proposals that include various forms of scholarships for students to do research.

He stated that MITDS in collaboration with the University of Nairobi and the Swiss Government are currently running a two-year Community-based Sustainable Food Programme in Kalbeon and Gowrie-Kunkwa.

“A second Research field data gathering with IFOAM of the Netherlands has just started last week with some of our Student as part of this programme. We hope it will have broader and longer implications for the distant future,” he stated.

He gave the assurance that the University was committed to providing balanced access to female applicants, physically-challenged persons, and socially excluded and marginalized persons to pursue our academic programmes and appealed to the government, the GETFund, Donors and Philanthropist, to assist the School with more academic facilities such as ICT Services, Library, and Classroom, an Administration Block to facilitate teaching and learning materials.

He paid tributes to the Chiefs and peoples of Yekine, the UDS, NAB, and National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), new international affiliates such as the University of Nairobi, Kenya, internal and external examiners.