FUPRE VC unveils roadmap for excellence, seeks support

NEW Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Prof. Akii Ibhadode, has appealed to all stakeholders to support his vision of enlisting the institution among the best 500 in the world within his five-year tenure.

In his maiden media briefing at FUPRE yesterday, Ibhadode said he was determined to exploit the ever abundant opportunities provided by the institution’s mandate as the first petroleum university in Africa and sixth in the world to produce high level manpower for the oil and gas industry.

As a specialised university, he noted, FUPRE has certain privileges tied to the petroleum industry and plans to develop special bonds with petroleum and allied companies to fund researches, establish specialised training centres within, and also donate equipment, while generating income through consultancies.

Actualising this vision, Ibhadode noted, would demand leveraging existing resources such as physical facilities, structures, equipment, human resources and others for optimum use to avoid waste, and to also deploy appropriate resources for maintenance, and staff motivation for improved learning, working environment and facilities.

He disclosed that there are ongoing talks on collaboration with industries and foreign varsities, just as the institution’s programmes are structured to meet global industry requirements as prevalent in the other petroleum universities worldwide.

Similarly, students’ projects will be tied to solving real problems in the industry to enhance FUPRE’s reputation and goodwill from companies and the society, thereby attracting income, he said.

Meanwhile, the quality of teaching and learning in the university has enabled the students to excel in global competitions and project the institution in the industry, as two former students have already emerged best in their Masters degree at the Institute of Petroleum Studies, the University of Port Harcourt, thereby earning the McArthur Foundations’ sponsorship for doctoral programme abroad.

Ibhadode assured that in the next few years, the university would witness massive infrastructure development in the areas of laboratory, workshops, classrooms and research equipment to bolster its academic status.

He commended the Ovie of Uvwie and the people of Ugbomro and Iteregbi communities for their commitment to projecting FUPRE into global reckoning, assuring that they would get their fair benefits.