The University for Development Studies (UDS) is Ghana’s first public University in the North. It was established by the Government of Ghana by PNDC Law 279 and gazette on 15th May, 1992 with aims:

To provide higher education to all persons suitably qualified and capable of benefiting from such education;

To undertake research and promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and its application to the needs and aspirations of the people of Ghana; and

To blend the academic world with that of the community in order to provide constructive interaction between the two for the total development of northern Ghana in particular and the country as a whole.
The pedagogical philosophy of UDS is said to have been borne out of a new thinking in higher education emphasizing the need for universities as teaching and research institutions to play more active role in addressing societal problems (especially rural areas) for speedy development.

The University by its mandate and constituency has a pro-poor focus and this is reflected in its methodology of teaching, research and outreach services. The specific emphasis on practically-oriented, research and field-based training is aimed at contributing towards poverty reduction in order to accelerate national development.