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The Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) formally awarded 3,285 students with Degrees and Diplomas after the successful completion of their various courses of study this academic year. Out of the number, 1,434 graduated in Integrated Development Studies, 1,079 in Planning and Land Management while 772 pursued programmes at the School of Business and Law. A total of 101 graduates also received Master of Philosophy, Master of Science and Master of Arts at the maiden congregation of the Wa Campus. President John Dramani Mahama, in a speech read for him, urged the university to continue to work hard to strengthen its programmes. He called on metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in northern Ghana to liaise with the UDS to apply their research findings for the benefit of the people. President Mahama expressed the hope that the doctors being trained by the UDS would provide services to hospitals, clinics and health facilities in the deprived districts of the country. Professor Haruna Yakubu, Vice Chancellor of the University, said the decision to decentralise congregation ceremonies of the university was carefully thought out this year to reduce the pressure on students and management as a result of the growing number of students graduating annually. From now on, he said, congregation ceremonies would be organised in Wa for those on that campus and in Tamale for graduates from the Tamale, Navrongo and Nyankpala campuses. Prof. Yakubu said the decision to completely train its medical students at the UDS itself had brought some gains with the graduation of 61 medical doctors last year who were inducted into professional practice by the Medical and Dental Council. This year another batch of 78 medical students who trained in Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology had graduated and a special graduation ceremony would be organised early next year for them. Prof. Yakubu expressed the university�s appreciation for the tremendous support from Government and the GETFund to provide academic, residential and other facilities. The Vice Chancellor said Ghana Commercial Bank had approved a loan of GHc 20,000,000.00 for the university to construct hostels at its campuses. As a pivot of its community engagement approach, Prof. Yakubu said under the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP), lecturers and students generated tremendous data that district and municipal assemblies could use to bring meaningful development to the rural people. He said the university was strengthening its community engagement programmes by adding more value to the activities and strategies and intended to adopt a programme that would empower rural communities through awareness creation and skills development. Dr Abudulai Baba Salifu, Chairman of the University Council, expressed worry about the lack of connection between the universities and industry and said Ghana could not progress if graduands could not meet the requirements of industry. He called for continuous dialogue between academia and industry for industry to provide scholarships to brilliant but needy students and commission research programmes in higher institutions of learning for use to propel growth.