Seven UNIUYO graduates bag Norwegian scholarship

SEVEN graduates from the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Uyo, have bagged postgraduate scholarship to study in Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The students, mainly of Akwa Ibom State origin, were full of excitement at a briefing on Friday when the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Akanaren Essien, announced that they would be proceeding to Norway to spend one year on exchange Master’s programme, while they would spend the remaining one year at the University of Uyo.

Essien urged the students to be good ambassadors of their country during their stay at Norway. He said that out of 10 names that were sent from the institution to Norway, only seven of the graduates were selected for the scholarship programme.

The vice-chancellor explained that aside from the scholarship offers to the graduates, the university’s governing council had also placed the students on automatic employment as graduate assistants, saying they would be receiving monthly salary while studying in Norway.

He said, “Have that in your mind that you have been offered automatic employment as graduate assistants as members of staff of the institution.

“I urge you to be good ambassadors of the institution and that of Nigeria during your stay in Norway. What is happening to you is what God has placed in your life for many years.”

He disclosed that part of the institution’s success could be attributed to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, which had invested in it and had also donated a building to the institution in order to aid learning.”

Essien listed the names of the beneficiaries of the scholarship as Agwu Ekwe; Okon Ndarake; Akpabio Gideon; Akpan Eyo; Ezekiel Elijah; Isemin Akpabio and Sampson Essien.

He said that only Ekwe had first class out of all the seven graduates, while the remaining students finished with second class upper.

Recalling how the university was tempted to reduce some of its courses when it could not achieve full accreditation, Essien commended the alumni of the institution and members of staff for working hard to position it as one of the best in the country.

He added that the institution had signed a Memorandum of Under-standing with Norwegian University of Science and Technology in the area of petroleum engineering; and had also signed an MoU with a United-kingdom based firm, Afrem.

Source: The Punch Newspapers