Abuja Science varsity graduates 25 PhDs, 432 Masters in 10 years
A private, pan-African research university in Abuja, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), has graduated 25 PhDs and 432 Masters Degree holders from across Africa in its 10 years of existence. A statement from the institution said their alumni have produced high-level research findings in notable areas, including the treatment and control of […]
A private, pan-African research university in Abuja, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), has graduated 25 PhDs and 432 Masters Degree holders from across Africa in its 10 years of existence.
A statement from the institution said their alumni have produced high-level research findings in notable areas, including the treatment and control of cancer, renewable energy and the development of affordable alternative building materials.
Speaking on the highlights of the institution’s first decade, President of AUST, Professor Kingston Nyamapfene, cited the example of the combined work and research findings by three AUST alumni Dr. Kwabena Kan-Dapaah, Dr. John David Obayemi and Dr. Stella Dozie-Nwachukwu, which have raised hope for alternative ways to treat cancer using nano-particle technology, reducing the damage caused to healthy tissue by conventional chemotherapy.
“It is reassuring that AUST is being true to its mission because most AUST graduates find employment before or soon after graduation and, in particular, that in many cases, it was the nature and quality of their research work that prospective employers found attractive”, Nyamapfene said.
He added that Alumni of the institution have also earned honours for their contributions and exploits in other areas.
“Miss Blessing Onyeche Ugwoke, who recently completed her M.Sc.in Petroleum Engineering was selected for the “Debut in Research: Young Talents from Africa Prize” and received the Eni Award for Excellence last year.The Eni Award has sometimes been dubbed “the Nobel Prize for Energy,” he said.
According to him, her selection was based on the quality of her M.Sc. research work, with a thesis titled “A Study on Spherical Cap Bubble Transition Boundary for Bubbly to Slug flow”, under the supervision of Dr. Abdulkadir Mukhtar.
The institution whose board is chaired by Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, also former World Bank Managing Director, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was established by the Nelson Mandela Institution (NMI) in collaboration with the World Bank and other international agencies in 2007, following advocacy by then South African president, the late Nelson Mandela for a youth-led renaissance, based on strengthening Africa’s capacity in science and technology.