ESUT Mgt to return Varsity to yrs of technological breakthroughs, Pro Chancellor


ENUGU----The Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, and Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, His Grace, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike  Onah, has said that the current management of the university would return the Institution to its earlier years of technological breakthroughs.

Bishop Onah, further said that ESUT, as the first University of Science and Technology in the country, would step up research and development of  indigenous technology to solve myriads of societal problems occasioned by  unemployment, through commercialisation of its research findings.

He spoke during his address at the 18th consolidated convocation ceremony of the University in Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The University used the occasion to award Honourary Degrees to six Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their walks of life. 

Those honoured included a Supreme Court Judge and former lecturer in the university, Justice Centus Chima Nweze,  Michael Ikebudu of Brunei Shell Petroleum; the Isagba of Ogwashi-Ukwu Kingdom; Chief (Dr.) Jude Ndudi Ozah, Sir Ike Nwokolo; Mrs. Agatha Obiekwugo; and the Chairman of Cubana Group (Obi Cubana) Obinna Iyiegbu.

However, commending the present Management team of the University, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, for its excellent performances, he noted what he described as observable positive attitudinal and infrastructural developments in different sectors of the university within the six months of the new management. 

His words,  "...it would help to recall that in her earlier years as ASUTECH in the 1980s, ESUT was known for technological breakthroughs. ESUT was credited with the manufacture of the first African Computer, code-named ASUTECH 800 series. The University at that time equally manufactured Compatible Vehicle Pistons which were used by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria, PAN.

The Mace in use then by the Supreme Court of Nigeria was a product of the Metallurgical and Material Engineering Department of the University.

"I therefore, challenge the present Management, nay, the University, not only to get to that top again, but to surpass those feat."

The cleric then urged the Management to key into the fourth Industrial Revolution characterised by artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet,  machine learning and big data, adding that those applications would define the work of the future.

He further urged the Management to take the lead by re-examining the curriculum of the University in a bid to align with the  demands of the future, as it would require re-orientation and retraining of faculty and incentives to attract the right teachers and students.

A total of 29,240 graduands were awarded degrees which include graduands from 2016 to 2021, with a breakdown of 21, 523 as first degree holders, 924 for Postgraduate Diploma, 2,901 for Masters Degree,  261 for Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.

Out of the first degree graduands, 36 First Class  Honours; 4,979 made second class Honours Upper Division; 14,836 made second class Honours, Lower Division; 1,294 made Third Class, while 378 got pass degrees, respectively.

 

 

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