Magnus Eze, Enugu
Coal City University (CCU), Emene, Enugu State and Delaware University, Dover, United States of America, are perfecting arrangements for the take-off of an exchange programme between the two institutions.
The collaboration will enable students of both universities to study partly in Coal City University and Delaware State University and on graduation, be issued with dual certificates.
Vice President, Division of Strategic Excellent Management of the American university, Mr Antonio Boyle, who led a delegation to the Enugu-based institution, said they were satisfied with the facilities on the ground at the Coal City University, indicating that it will serve as their operational base for Nigerian students and African countries.
According to him, the exchange programme would enable a CCU student to do one semester abroad and placement in US companies for the work experience programme. He added that it will also encompass a staff exchange programme in the areas of secondment, sabbatical and research among others.
Other areas of collaborations he mentioned were: “research projects/joint publications, joint conferences/workshops/seminars, as well as the establishment of teaching and learning enhancement center for staff development. Every student that comes from CCU will get an Ipad; every student that comes from CCU will get two degrees, one from CCU and another from us.”
Boyle told The Education Report that officials of CCU will reciprocate their visit within this month, after which he will come back with the President of Delaware State University to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). He was upbeat that studies in respect of the exchange programme will take off before the end of the year.
On his part, Chancellor of Coal City University, Chinedu Ani, said their preoccupation was to provide functional university education that would make their products marketable.
He said: “Since we started this university, I’ve always told myself that we need to think outside of the box; that’s why we had to go out of our way to Delaware University in the US for this partnership. This is the second time they’re visiting Enugu to tidy up this programme.
“The principal objective is to offer a proper education. We don’t want to graduate students that will come out and be carrying CV around. We want to get them established before they leave school and with the collaboration, there are a whole lot of opportunities.
“At the meeting; they said they’re already looking for somebody with education background that will do some years here and then come over there, do some programme and immediately would be employed. So, it’s a whole lot of benefits and I’m hoping that other institutions in Nigeria will key into this kind of arrangement.”
Also, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of CCU, Dr. Emeka Igwe explained that the collaboration would enable Nigerians to obtain foreign degrees at affordable cost, far less than those who travelled to study on their own.
He disclosed that CUU was seriously interested, especially for students in their education faculty who would do two years in Nigeria and go to Delaware State University, do two years. “In the US, male professionals in education are scarce, so, once they finish, there would be a job for them in the US.”