Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the University for Development Studies [UDS], Prof. Felix Kofi Abagale has called on the government to support private tertiary education institutions, in order to help absorb the increasing number of graduates from the second cycle institutions in the country.

Speaking at the 3^rd Congregation of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, Prof. Abagale predicted that in the next 3 to 4 years, there will be pressure on public tertiary education institutions in the country, and the support of private institutions will be required, provide quality tertiary education.

“With the current double-track educational policy for secondary education, it is very much predictive that in the next 3 to 4 years, there will be pressure on public tertiary education and it is only the private tertiary education institutions which can support the government in delivering quality education," he said.

Prof. Abagale added; “It will be very difficult for public institutions which are bedevilled with limited infrastructure to support the training of the middle and high-level manpower for this country."

"The government will have to look for support and I see the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies as one of the outlets for delivering quality education and it is very much necessary that the government lends its support to help in its infrastructural growth as well as quality systems to deliver this education that is much needed especially in this part of the country”

The Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, also known as the Millar Open University, is an accredited institution based in Bolgatanga and prides itself as the first Ghanaian University to respond to the clarion calls for universities in Ghana to go beyond their traditional on-campus, satellite campus and distance learning systems to the Open University System.

This private university is affiliated to the University for Development Studies, [UDS].

Its core values are centred in research, capacity building and development initiatives that combine elements of indigenous knowledge with mainstream sciences and social learning.

The aim is to adequately prepare students to use and improve indigenous knowledge to contribute to the development of society. 

This 3^rd congregation was for the graduation of 11 Bachelor of Science students, 3 PhD students and 3 Mphil students from the University.

President of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, Prof. David Millar said the university trains its students to aim to be self-employed.

“We will concentrate on preparing our students on self–employment opportunities such as we are about to do with the Organic Farming and Biodynamic Agriculture with emphasis on agriculture as a whole. We are mindful of graduate unemployment concerns of the government of Ghana and the need to link up with industry and for us particularly, rural industry”, Prof. Millar said.   

He also revealed that the university recently set up a unit to proofread, restructure and edit postgraduate thesis into publishable books.

“We are of the view that conventional thesis so published, have limited visibility so we have developed the system of adapting the conventional thesis into publishable books that can be shared widely and openly”, he said.  

Prof. David Millar also appealed for support from government and donor organizations to set up a library for the University. 

Delivering his Valedictory speech, Samuel Ataribananam, a Mphil graduate of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies expressed optimism that he and his colleague graduates were going to make a positive impact on the country.

“The solution to the myriad of problems that confront our people and our nation lies in us and how we would use our training here, to solve them by using our indigenous knowledge”, Ataribanam said.