The University for Development Studies (UDS) Old Students’ Association has organised a networking activity to reconnect all alumni groups of the school to deliberate on measures to support their alma mater.
The seminar, which was dubbed ‘Developer Speaks’, created the platform for the leadership of the alumni groups to hold discussions with the management of the university to find the best ways to collaborate in bringing about development to the academic community.
Vice Chancellor of UDS Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan commended the leadership of the alumni association for making the effort to organise the seminar to share knowledge and help mobilise past students to help build up the university.
He encouraged the old students that embracing unity and collaborating with management would help to enhance quality education while providing training to the current students to meet the market-driven requirement.
The seminar, held under the theme ‘Reconnecting with the Formative Years of UDS Alumni Association’, was also used as a means to strategise on how to reconnect with past students within the diaspora community to collectively develop the alma mater.
The gathering also deliberated on the formation of the alumni association and personalities who sacrificed their time, energy and resources toward the establishment of the growth of the university and the association.
A quarterly seminar series programme was institutionalised, where accomplished personalities working in key institutions would be identified to help in giving back to the alma mater.
He said the university commenced with 39 students and now boasts more than 25,000 students pursuing various programmes.
President of the UDS Alumni Association Prof. Terry Ansah, on his part, said: “Government alone cannot provide the needed resources to meet the required demand of the university and the various faculties; therefore, this requires the alumni to support in providing the needed infrastructure to enhance quality educational delivery,” the VC said.
The formation of the association, he reiterated, would help to galvanise resources to improve upon the situation of the university.
The VC encouraged the leadership of the association to keep up the good fight and assured them of the management’s collaboration with the alumni to design, implement and sustain physical projects to provide quality education for the young students.
President of the UDS Alumni Association Foundation Robert Ayamga encouraged the students to count themselves blessed for having the needed resources to study as compared to the commencement of the university where they had to travel miles for lectures.
First Student Representative Council (SRC) President of UDS, Alhaji Gamel Nuhu Ahmed, stressed the need for the current alumni leadership to develop cordial relationships with the students and other alumni to ensure the welfare of students.
“You need to prioritise your role and embrace unity in the fight for the development of the university,” he said.
He said the leadership of the association has always been sensitising first-year students on the need to take their studies seriously to contribute to the development of the university after completion.
