UNIBEN holds fair on German Scholarship/Fellowship

The Deutscher Academischer Austauschdient German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Deutsche Forschung Gemeinschaft (DFG) and Alexander Von Humboldt (AvH), held a three-day education fair at UNIBEN Senate chambers to strengthen prospective German scholarship/fellowship applicants from UNIBEN, and also to show them how to write winning proposals and the application procedures.

In his address, the VC, Prof. F.F.O Orumwense, represented by the deputy VC Academics, Prof. Abiodun Falodun stated that apart from capacity building, training and others, the fair would help strengthen collaborations between the school and German universities.

Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Jakob Mache, a DAAD representative, said German government aims at empowering academics, staff and undergraduates from foreign countries to study and carry out research in the country for free with hope of returning to their countries to apply the knowledge gained.

He revealed that the fellowships are the largest for international exchange in the world and has empowered over 50,000 foreign undergraduates, PhD candidates and teaching staff as at 2013.

Meanwhile, UNIBEN was at a standstill during the week, when Prof. Moses Momoh, Dean of Medicine, delivered the 175th inaugural lecture of the institution.

In his lecture titled, ‘The Ravaging Breast Cancer Scourge: Situation Alert,’ Prof Momoh lamented the increasing occurrence of the disease, saying despite ongoing awareness about breast cancer, more people are becoming victims.

According to him, family history of breast cancer, contraceptive use, age (the older the risk), obesity and smoking were risk factors of the disease.

“Cancer means abnormal growth of cells. The more the no of children one has, the lesser the risk. Also, women who engage in abortion and do not breast feed their children are at more risk of developing the disease, because they disrupt the normal cycle and expose themselves to the estrogen hormone, ” he said.

Stressing the need for women to examine their breasts, he stated that cost of treatment and societal view of the disease is militating against management of the condition.

Among other recommendations, the don called for the incorporation of gene studies in Teaching Hospitals across the country. This he said would make girls whose mothers are sufferers know their risk level and take precautions to avoid falling victims.