We have a record of aggressively getting students - Adamu

Vice-chancellor National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) says the institution has a record of being very aggressive when it comes to getting students.

Prof Abdalla Uba Adamu stated this while welcoming Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced learning (ACETEL) sectoral partners in Abuja.

Adamu added "We welcome you to our partnership in this particular engagement. I assure you NOUN will aggressively pursue this project. We have a record of being aggressive when it comes to getting students because our lives revolves around the students".

The VC maintained that ACETEL take off would not be of any trouble as the university has already invested hugely into the agenda being a commercial venture.

"World Bank would give us money, and we will also make money from the courses we offer, it's a commercial venture unlike the conventional. If you're giving a degree in cloud computing you're going to make a lot of money. We have already invested in this".

Adamu also registered his pleasure on what he described as the partnership cutting across all sectors: academia, entrepreneurship and businesses. "This is the kind of a 'town gown' interface that we are looking for".

Also speaking at the sectoral stakeholders meeting, Centre Director ACETEL Prof Grace Jokthan says these partners have been together with the centre right from the formative stage. "Having scaled through with the formal launch, there was the need to brief these partners on the progress made so far, so as to put them on the same page with us in terms of implementation and the way going forward"

"This meeting is to have their buy-in as to activities that will follow in terms of research, the academic components and be able to get the industrial input on the needs the research is expected to address"

Jokthan says the centre can not work alone, as it requires the partnership of those in the bussiness of ICT and its infrastructure. "So we're pulling ourselves together to Kickstart activities and be able to deliver on the project".

Jokthan added so far, alot of progress has been recorded with regards to the project. She cited the formal launching of the project, receiving of a formal letter of award from the world Bank through the NUC, management's financial approval towards takeoff of the project, allocation of office space, equipment as well as staffing.