The management of Bingham University, keffi, Nasarawa State has tasked students of the citadel of learning to acquire skills relevant to their academic field of endeavour before graduation.
Vice-chancellor, Bingham University, Prof. William Barnabas Qurix who made the call during the 18th matriculation ceremony of the institution also charged the students on academic and moral excellence.
He noted that besides curbing the spate of unemployment in the country, the institution gives the student the opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities, which will enhance University’s experience and help students develop important life skills.
Prof Qurix said a total of 2,318 were granted admission to study various courses comprising 1,838 undergraduates and 480 Postgraduate students, and are therefore being matriculated.
The vice chancellor said Bingham University being a faith-based University has zero tolerance for any form of social vices such as cultism, drug abuse, bullying, and others, as anyone found wanting would be sanctioned accordingly.
He said the University has rules and regulations guiding the conduct of all students and urged the students to familiarize themselves with these regulations and abide strictly by them as enshrined in the student’s handbook.
“Remember that your time here is not just about getting a degree; it is also about becoming a well-rounded individual. Embrace new experiences and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone,” he said.
The professor stressed that the vision of the institution is “to become a world-class University in knowledge and skills, while inculcating moral and spiritual values” and its mission is “to produce graduates that are excellent in knowledge, character, and skills for self-reliance and the fear of Christ.”
He also urged the students to take advantage of the wealth of resources and support that are available to them from the library to the counseling unit, dedicated staff, and faculty to help them succeed.
In recognition of the benefits of collaboration and transnational learning, he said the University has continued to collaborate with reputable International and local institutions such as Sumy State University, Ukraine; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) UK, University of Wolverhampton UK, and the Global Studio for African Centered Architecture, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, among others.
He said this continues to boost our drive for research and transnational learning.
“The University has won several grants as a result of these Collaborations with other Institutions such as N50m grant for Covid-19 research from the Central Bank of Nigeria, £1,000,000 grant from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom for the LIGHT CONSORTIUM project, N27m from TETFUND, just to mention a few.
“Recently, the National Universities Commission (NUC) unveiled the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) which will provide 70 percent content of curriculum while institutions will provide 30 percent of the content based on their individual contextual peculiarities and characteristics.
“As an institution, we are already keying into the 30 per cent in line with our goals: “to provide a sound entrepreneurial education for innovation and creativity to all students of Bingham University.” This has given us leeway to provide entrepreneurship and morally backed education,” he said.
The vice chancellor of the University said it has also launched an endowment fund in order to sustain the current momentum gained in terms of academic excellence and development, as well as to provide the infrastructure required.
“Endowment fund serves a vital role in creating a sense of ownership and belonging among alumni and other important constituents by creating an avenue to maintain stakes in the University’s growth and development, as well as providing valuable support to the University,” he added.
