Deputy Education Minister calls for modernisation of UDS field practical programme

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has called on the new administration of the University for Development Studies (UDS) to modernise the institution’s Third Trimester Field Practical Programme while preserving its focus on community development.

Dr. Apaak said the programme remains one of the defining features of UDS and should be redesigned to equip students to respond to emerging development challenges facing communities.

He made the call on Thursday, September 3, 2026, when he delivered the keynote address at the investiture of Prof. Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS at the university’s Tamale Campus.

“I urge you to give particular attention to the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme, one of the defining features of UDS. The programme must retain its original community-development purpose while being modernised to respond to contemporary realities,” he said.

According to Dr. Apaak, students should not participate in the programme simply to fulfil an academic requirement but should engage communities as partners in identifying challenges and developing practical solutions.

“Students should not enter communities merely to complete an academic requirement. They should enter as learners, partners and problem-solvers,” he stated.

He said the programme should expose students to pressing issues such as climate vulnerability, public health, local governance, entrepreneurship and digital exclusion.

Dr. Apaak added that students should work with communities to identify challenges, generate evidence and develop practical interventions.
“The programme should help communities to identify challenges, generate evidence and develop practical solutions,” he said.

The Deputy Minister also urged UDS to expand research in areas with direct implications for communities and national development.

He identified agriculture, climate change, food security, public health, renewable energy, water management, peacebuilding, education, digital technology and sustainable development as areas requiring stronger research attention.

“These are not abstract academic themes. They affect whether families have food, whether communities have peace, whether children receive quality education and whether Ghana can build a resilient economy,” Dr. Apaak stated.

He further called on the university to strengthen collaboration with government, industry, development partners, traditional authorities, local communities, alumni and international institutions.

“UDS should be known as an institution that welcomes partnership, provides credible evidence and offers practical expertise for national development,” he said.

Prof. Mohammed Muniru Iddrisu was invested as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of UDS on Thursday, September 3, succeeding Prof. Seidu Al-hassan.