BUK will not commercialise award of honourary degrees, says VC

The Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has declared that the award of honorary degrees of the university to personalities not intended for commercial purpose in a bid to sustain it’s value.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Mohammad Yahuza Bello who hinted this yesterday while addressing journalists ahead of the institution’s 34th convocation ceremony scheduled to hold between 3rd and 7th of April,  2018.

The VC who revealed that despite several direct and indirect advance on the university by those desperate to secure the honor, the university Senate and Governing Council have set a new standard which automatically disqualify any person who lobby for it.

Professor Mohammad reminded that although the university was not intended to honor any personality on the 34th convocation, the VC said the purpose was to maintain high value and honor associate with Bayero university’s honorary degrees and not because there were no deserving persons for it.

According to him “ Quite a number of people have approached us directly or indirectly, but we turned down their request simply because the University Senate and Governing Council have decided not to award any honourary degree this year.

“This is not because there are no persons deserving of the honour, indeed, there are so many. Again, we want to maintain the very high value and honour associated with such degrees, Bayero University Senate and Council have been limiting the number of honorees, and the years when such awards are made.”

Professor Mohammad disclosed that the university will graduate 72 first class products out of 5,401 persons that will receive their first degrees during the convocation.

“ This year,  a total of 8,634 graduants will be awarded various degrees and post graduate diplomas. 5,401 will receive first degrees, 70 PhD’s, 1,833 will receive master degrees and 658 will receive postgraduate diploma certificates. 72 of the first degrees graduants are graduating with First Class.”

The VC explained that in line with the international best practices, the university’s convocation ceremony is staggered from between 3th and 7th April, 2018, to enable ample time for the graduants and their immediate family celebrate the terminal end of academic journey.

The VC used the occasion to explained that the University has secured full accreditation of all its academic programs, including the most recent 15 new undergraduate and eight postgraduate programmes from the National University Commission NUC.

He however lamented the Federal government owned university is still burden with perennial water and power supply.