Millar Open University Matriculates 20 Post-Graduate Students

By Samuel Akapule

Bolgatanga — Twenty post graduate 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 15 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) and situated at Yikine, 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 ceremony on the main campus of the University at Yikine on Saturday, the founder and the President of the University and former Pro-Vice Chancellor of UDS, Professor Dr. David Millar, announced that the MITDS had also designed a 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 said that the programmes being run by MITDS 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 supported them to publish their dissertation into books as done in the developed world.

"Recently we have set up a Unit that edits, proofreads, and restructures final Post-graduate Thesis Works (especially PhD thesis) into Published Books, like it is done in Europe and other advanced countries. This novelty adds value to the efforts put in by students to write a thesis," Professor Dr. Millar said.

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 for self-employment opportunities with an emphasis on agriculture "while they are studying."

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 were currently running a two-year Community-based Sustainable Food Programme in Kalbeo and Gowrie-Kunkwa.

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

Read Full Story