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While this approach to tertiary education may find some justification
for programmes in the humanities, social sciences and allied fields,
there appears to be little inclination to modify this basic
philosophy in the area of Science and Technology, even in the
technological institutions, in the present circumstances of a global
movement towards a knowledge-driven economy in which the
socio-economic advancement of developing nations are anchored on
technology- based industrial effort.
Given the expectations of the Government and the
people of Akwa Ibom State, along with the resource endowments of the
State, it became clear
to the Committee that the University would make a meaningful
and sustainable positive intervention in the socio-economic fortunes
of the people of the State only if it engages continuously on
capacity-building and research and development activities that have
direct bearing on the problems of the State. Thus, the University
would have to be designed such that its programmes and activities
have a clear targeted skilled manpower training, goal research and
development focus that puts emphasis on the solution of the problems
of the State.
Accordingly, early
in its work, the Committee identified a number of areas of knowledge
which would engage the serious attention of the University in the
effort to meet the challenge of turning around the
socio-economic fortunes of the State. Thereafter, it selected centres
of excellence located in various countries, whose leadership in the
various disciplines of interest had been acknowledged world-wide and
from which vital information and other assistance could be expected.
With the approval and support of the Government of the State,
delegations from the Committee undertook appraisal visits to these
centres from January to June, 2001 in a programme which embraced a
large number of institutions/agencies located in twelve countries and
in which the deliberations addressed a range of issues which were
brought to the attention of each of the organizations.
The
conceptualization of the vision and mission of the University was
guided by the fact that Akwa Ibom State is a coastal state which is
bounded in the south by the Gulf of Guinea. Lying between latitudes 4o28'N
and 5o31'N and longitudes 7o27'E and 8o20'E,
it stretches northwards from the sandy beaches of the ocean through
extensive wetlands watered by tidal incursions of the ocean, to
rainforest areas in its northern reaches. Apart from its oil and gas
wealth, which makes it the second largest oil/gas-producing State in
the Federation, it is rich in fisheries and is characterized by a
large expanse of fertile hinterland. Currently, it hosts the only
aluminum producing complex in the country.
Given the above resource profile of the State and in the effort to
maximize the gains from the above visits to international
organizations, the Committee identified a number of the
disciplines/bodies of scientific and technological knowledge within
which man-power training and research and development activities of
the University should be directed. These included:
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