From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The partnership between the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the German Government and its institutions has begun to yield benefits as nine students of the National Film Institute have been selected as beneficiaries of Masters Degree Scholarship in Film Culture and Archival studies under the German scholarship programme.
Recall that in June the Management of the Corporation led by the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dr Chidia Maduekwe, met with the Deputy Chief of Mission, Helmut Kulitz, in Abuja where they stressed consolidating the existing partnership.
The nine Nigerian students undergoing a Master Degree programme in Film Culture and Archival Studies at the National Film Institute (NFI) were chosen to benefit from the 2021 foreign scholarship scheme of DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) known as the German Academic Exchange Service.
The scholarship for the 2021 academic session of the two-year master degree programme covers mobility cost, monthly residency grant, German language studies grant, living cost and tuition fees. The scholarship is in two categories, foreign and domestic.
Beneficiaries were selected after their submissions of proposals on intended areas of final dissertations, demonstrable knowledge of the course of study, and justification of application for consideration by candidates.
In a statement issued in Jos, by Brian Etuk, Head, Public Affairs, Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), a total of 17 candidates applied to be considered for a scholarship, out of which nine were successful and consequently awarded the scholarship. The statement listed Nnenna Emily Ukoha, Stephen Okoh and Collins Okorocha as beneficiaries of the foreign components while Dasiyap Ezra Inusa, Ishaku Dashon Gumut, Wonah Barnabas, Benjamin Benji, Blessing Izang and Solomon Idyo, are the winners for the domestic component of the scholarship respectively.
Dr Chidia Maduekwe, NFC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive and Chairman, Governing Board of the National Film Institute, Jos, has congratulated beneficiaries of the scholarship, urging them to effectively and judiciously utilize funds and opportunities to justify their studies and future prospects in the field of Film Culture and Archival Studies, especially in the areas of restoration, digitisation, preservation, codification and classification of creative works and audio-visual heritage which the master programme is intended to achieve. Dr Maduekwe, in the statement, commended the Goethe University – Frankfurt, Arsenal Institute for Film & Video Art – Berlin, Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum and Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) (German Institutions), and the University of Jos as well as the Lagos Film Society for the collaborative partnership in undertaking the Master in Film Culture & Archival Studies programme in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a call for applications from qualified candidates for admission into the 2020/2021 academic session of the master degree programme has commenced.
Interested and qualified applicants for the postgraduate programme are to visit https://portal.unijos.edu/Account/AdmissionRegistration?programme=Masters and complete the application process.
Among others, applicants must have valid and active email accounts which will be used in communication between the institution and the candidates. Part of the processes also includes the creation of an applicant’s online account, the uploading of applicants scanned certificates and payment of prescribed application fees.
The 2020/2021 Admission process will be the second, for candidates of the Master Degree programme. It is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa. Courses taught during the two year period cover a broad range of practical, theoretical and thematic film archiving.