UDS holds 15th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on research

The University for Development Studies(UDS) holds its annual interdisciplinary conference to create a platform for researchers, students and administrators within and outside the University to share their research works and experiences.

The two-day event was held from Wednesday, September 7 to Thursday, September 8, 2022, and organised by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIR) at the University.

It was the 15th in the series on the theme "Contemporary Global Crisis: Threats and Opportunities for Research and Academic Freedom."

The AIC was attended by researchers, students, dean and directors at universities, research institutions, companies and NGOs, among others.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Alhassan Seidu, in a speech read on his behalf by Professor George Nyarko, principal of the Nyankpala campus at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, said the Annual Interdisciplinary Conference (AIC) was one of the flagship programmes by the University that create platforms for the most experienced researchers to mentor the junior and young ones.

He also said the conference provides a learning ground for young researchers such as Masters's and PhD students to showcase their research proposals and findings for monitoring and guidance from well-experienced researchers.

He lauded the theme "Contemporary Global Crisis: Threats and Opportunities for Research and Academic Freedom" as he believed it resonated with the current global crises that have affected humanity.

"The conference also provides a learning ground for young researchers, especially Masters and PhD students to showcase research proposals and findings for comments and suggestions to improve upon the research works," he added. "The theme has been carefully and purposefully chosen by the organisers considering the current global crises and their effects on society and academic works."

Professor Seidu entreated the participants, especially students and young researchers who were there to learn, to sit throughout the sessions, pose critical questions and make constructive contributions and criticisms.

He thanked the participants, especially those who presented papers for their interest and continued support to the AIC and the University at large.

The Director of the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research,(IIR) Dr Abdulai Abubakari, in his welcome remarks, said the AIC started in 2007 as Interfaculty Lectures but has developed into an interdisciplinary conference to create more room for wider participation from researchers in different fields.

He indicated that a total of 100 abstracts from varied researchers were received by the institute, but could only admit only 77 due to time and resource constraints.

Dr Abubakari indicated that researchers from Nigeria, Kenya, America, Europe, and South Africa have over the years participated in the AIC.

"There is a growing demand for this conference. The number of abstracts we received this year attest to this. By the close of the deadline, we received over 100 abstracts," he stated

He assured all those who presented papers that the Institute would ensure that their works got published in the Ghana Journal of Interdisciplinary Research.

The Dean of Midwifery and senior lecturer at the University Dr Vida Nyagre Yakong who chaired the opening ceremony, on her part, encouraged lecturers to venture into research works to help address the increasing global crises that threaten human life.