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Abstract

The University for Development Studies in Tamale, Ghana was established by law (PNDC L 279) in 1992 as the first public university in Northern Ghana with the mandate of "blending academic and community work in order to provide constructive interaction between the two for the total development of Northern Ghana, in particular, and the country as a whole. In seeking to actualise this mandate the university adopted a model called the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP) which has been operational since the inception of the university. Through this model students of the university are made to stay and work in rural communities in groups for a period of seven weeks for the first two years of their stay in the university and carry out research activities that end in the development of intervention proposals based on the felt needs of the communities. The proposals are shared with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and other development agencies to be incorporated into their development plans to ensure effective development of the MMDAs. Over the years this model has undergone some modifications based on the exigencies of the time. This paper is meant to share the experiences of UDS and indicate the mutual benefits that have accrued to the university, students, MMDAs and the communities.