The Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, marking its 10th anniversary, has announced ambitious plans for international expansion, with a focus on establishing campuses in Europe and South America.
Speaking in an interview on A1 Radio, Professor David Millar, the founder of the institution, shared groundbreaking initiatives aimed at fostering global academic collaboration.
According to Professor Millar, the institute has already initiated partnerships, including an ongoing relationship in the Netherlands, and is working to develop a similar collaboration with the University of Surinam. These efforts are part of a broader vision to facilitate exchange programs involving the physical presence of students and faculty across international borders.
“We’ll be running programmes from here in Holland, where lecturers will go, where students can go, and their lecturers can come, and their students can also come,” he said.
In a particularly bold move, the Millar Institute plans to open a full-fledged campus in Surinam, a country with only one existing university. Professor Millar highlighted the importance of creating a physical space dedicated to African heritage studies in Surinam, where the large Black-Surinamese population has shown strong support for the initiative. The new campus will emphasize not only African heritage but also European, Asian, and diaspora heritage studies, with a curriculum designed to reflect diverse cultural histories.
“Because the guy in Surinam is a Black-Surinamese, he wants to have a physical presence of a Black university in Surinam,” Professor Millar explained.
He added that the proposed Surinam campus could eventually surpass the size of the country’s national university due to strong local demand and the rapid pace of planning.
“The projections are that this university, if it comes up in Surinam, might be larger than the national Surinamese university.”
Professor Millar also noted that the Surinamese partner is eager to launch the program as early as January 2025, driven by the community’s desire for global engagement in heritage education.
“In fact, they are asking whether we could start in January because the courses we want to teach are classified under heritage studies. We are not only doing African heritage. We are having African heritage studies, European heritage studies, Asian heritage studies, and diaspora heritage studies.”
The Millar Institute’s international expansion underscores its commitment to transdisciplinary studies and cultural exchange, setting a new benchmark for academic collaboration across continents.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
