Medway Plays Pivotal Role in New Nigerian University
The University of Greenwich at Medway is playing a major role in helping to establish new educational opportunities in Nigeria.
Plans are well underway to build a new University at Kebbi State, in the North West region of the country and the skills and knowledge available in Medway is being used in the process.
As a key part of this, thirty-two students from Kebbi State arrived at the University of Greenwich in October 2006 to study on MSc programmes in a number of subjects, such as Natural Resource Management, Science (including Biotechnology), Computer Studies, and Engineering.
Nearly a year later, they have successfully gained their degrees and are now returning home to play an important role in the academic development of thenew Kebbi State University.
John Linton, Commercial Director of the University of Greenwichıs Natural Resources Institute (NRI), based at Medway, says: ³It has been a great pleasure to have the Kebbi group studying with us: they fitted in very well and adapted to the inevitable challenges of undertaking postgraduate studies in a foreign country and they worked hard. Our staff have greatly enjoyed teaching them. We are delighted with their success, which is a reflection of their effort and enthusiasm.²
As part of the collaboration, Professor Pat Harvey from the School of Science and John Linton visited the area for the proposed new university.
During their visit they were invited to the Governorial hand-over ceremony and met both the outgoing and incoming Governors.
The University of Greenwich, which has campuses at Greenwich, Medway and Avery Hill, plans to continue its partnership with Kebbi State.
A third of the successful MSc graduates will be returning to Greenwich later this autumn to study as research postgraduates (for MPhil/PhD degrees), and a further 20 students from Kebbi State will be arriving shortly to start their MSc programmes.
As part of the collaborative arrangements, staff from NRI are also assisting with an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a vegetable oil research centre within the new university.
ENDS
For interview opportunities, please contact:
- University of Greenwich at Medway Public Relations, tel: 020 8331 9420
- Delphine Houlton, Andrew Metcalf or Jez Durrant, at Maxim, tel: 01892
Captions: 32 Kebbi State students have gained Masterıs Degrees at University of Greenwich at Medway in September 2007