The Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof. Seidu Alhassan, represented by Prof. Abdulai Abubakari, has urged government and regulatory bodies to expedite the process of granting a Presidential Charter to the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies (MITDS). He made the call during the Institute’s seventh graduation ceremony held on Saturday. Prof. Abubakari, speaking on behalf of the UDS Vice Chancellor, said it was both an honour and a privilege to be part of the milestone celebration of MITDS, describing the Institute as “a cherished baby of UDS.” “Since the inception of MITDS, UDS has played her mentoring role to the fullest. We have provided lecturers, supervised student theses, and examined works to support the Institute from day one,” he remarked. He revealed that UDS had recently renewed its affiliation certificate with MITDS to strengthen their collaboration. He also expressed appreciation for the space MITDS had offered UDS to mount its distance education programme. Touching on the future of MITDS, Prof. Abubakari commended the Institute’s progress in teaching, research, publications, and community service, describing their achievements as “worth mentioning and emulating.” He, however, emphasized the importance of the next step in its journey. “To be found worthy of a Presidential Charter is a great landmark in the academic ladder. It is only then that MITDS can award her own degrees in place of UDS degrees,” he stressed. He called on the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), government, GETFund, and other support agencies to assist MITDS, especially in expanding its ICT and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure. To the graduates, the Vice Chancellor offered words of encouragement and a challenge for lifelong learning. “Education is a life-long endeavor. The conferment of a degree today is only another phase of your academic life. Feel challenged to expand your horizon and make yourself more relevant and marketable for your family, your country, and the world at large,” he urged. He reminded the graduates that they would be carrying UDS certificates and, therefore, must be “worthy ambassadors of their alma mater and shine their light wherever they find themselves.” With blessings and good wishes, he concluded his address before proceeding with the conferment of degrees. Source: Apexnewsgh.com