(Issue, Monday, August 22, 2016)
Authorities
of the University of Abuja are seeking to collaborate with ECOWAS in a number
of areas of human development.
Specifically,
the university is also seeking to partner with ECOWAS and get needed support in
areas covering the enhancement of higher education and training; youth and
employment; and research and development.
Other
critical areas where cooperation is being sought in the mutual interest of both
parties are conflict prevention, peace and security; disease control;
agriculture; language immersion; as well as sharing of experiences with other
member states of ECOWAS.
These
disclosures were made in Abuja on the 4 August 2016 when the Vice Chancellor of
the University of Abuja Prof Michael U. Adikwu led a delegation of senior
officials of the institution on a visit to the ECOWAS Commissioner for
Education Science and Culture Prof. Hamidou BOLY.
The
university delegation noted that it was leveraging on the mandate as an institution
of learning and research to seek collaboration, partnership and support of
relevant institutions such as ECOWAS.
Commissioner
Boly and the ECOWAS team unfolded the likely areas of collaboration with the
University vis-a-vis the Vision and Mandate of ECOWAS. The areas were which
span a number of Departments of ECOWAS were identified as Research and
Development, popularization of research findings, Training and Human Capital
Development; data collection, analysis and publication.
Other
areas were listed as Regional Integration and interface with other
organizations and institutions, involvement of the university in subsequent
editions of scholarships and exchange of lecturers under the ECOWAS Nnamdi
AZIKIWE Academic Mobility Scheme (ENAAMS) as well as implementation of the
ECOWAS reference Manual on Education for the Culture of Peace and possibility
of alliance in the areas of human and financial resources.
Both
parties also agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the end of
the deliberations to reinforce their relationship.
The
delegation from the University of Abuja comprised the deans of the faculties of
Agriculture, Education, Health Science, and Social Sciences.
Also
on the delegation of were some Heads of departments and a representative from
the National Universities Commission (NUC).
