Established on 15th May 1992, with only a single faculty at the Nyankpala campus, the University for Development Studies (UDS) is Ghana's first public university in the North with the aim to provide quality higher education, undertake research and to blend the academic world with that of the community.

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.