The Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies (MITDS) has received official endorsement to expand its faculties from one to three, establish new departments, and mount additional academic programs as part of its drive to strengthen tertiary education delivery in Ghana.
The announcement was made by the President of the Institute, Professor David Millar, during the 7th congregation of MITDS in Bolgatanga, which saw 11 students graduating with PhDs in Culture and Development Studies.
Prof. Millar described the approval as a “huge academic success,” explaining that the expansion will allow MITDS to broaden its scope and meet contemporary national and international development needs. The Institute will now operate three fully-fledged faculties: the Faculty of Culture and Development Studies, the Faculty of Indigenous Innovation and Communication Studies, and the Faculty of Endogenous Education and Lifelong Learning.
Each faculty will house multiple departments, including those dedicated to heritage studies, indigenous technology, gender and generational learning, and contemporary development communication.
“This endorsement marks a major step in our growth as a transdisciplinary institute,” Prof. Millar said. “We call on all stakeholders to help us advertise these new faculties and programs when they are up and running.”
Founded in 2012 and officially opened in 2014, MITDS has dedicated itself to transdisciplinary approaches to teaching, learning, and community service. Prof. Millar noted that while undergraduate programs were stepped down temporarily, the Institute intensified its master’s and doctoral training, leading to significant visibility in rural communities and breakthroughs in research.
Among the institute’s research achievements is the pioneering “Grass Economy” initiative aimed at transforming grass into economic commodities. Projects under this initiative include producing grass charcoal briquettes as a sustainable alternative to tree charcoal, experimenting with grass-based brown paper to reduce plastic waste, and developing biochar to improve soil fertility. These innovations, he said, have attracted global attention, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) featuring MITDS’s work as part of its international success stories.
Prof. Millar also announced progress toward launching Ghana’s first Post-Doctoral and Post-Master Research Programme, designed to enhance the skills of young academics seeking to produce internationally competitive research. “This will be the first of its kind in Ghana,” he said, stressing that the Institute is mobilizing resources to begin the program soon.
The MITDS President further highlighted strides in academic development, including the re-accreditation of its MPhil and PhD programs by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the renewal of its affiliation with the University for Development Studies (UDS), and fresh partnerships with international institutions such as LUITEBM University in Zambia and the Broos Institute in the Netherlands.
Despite these achievements, Prof. Millar lamented the Institute’s infrastructure deficit, revealing that all facilities to date have been funded internally without direct government or donor support. “We have not been able to build a dedicated library complex and administration block due to financial constraints,” he said, appealing to government, philanthropists, and donors for assistance.
He also emphasized MITDS’s inclusive policy, noting that the Institute’s statutes include a disability clause that has already enabled students with impairments to complete their programs successfully.
Turning to the graduates, Prof. Millar urged them to be ambassadors of the Institute. “If you like the experience you have had at MITDS, tell others. If you don’t like the experience, then tell us,” he said to applause.
The ceremony, attended by religious leaders, academics, families, and development partners, marked yet another milestone in the Institute’s 11-year journey of providing “quality tertiary education with a difference.”
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