BUK to host PASET PhD programmes | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
15th May 2019
Bayero University Kano (BUK) has been selected to serve as one of the host universities for the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) PhD programmes.
PASET is an initiative by African governments to address fundamental gaps in skills and knowledge necessary for long term, sustained economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
It established the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) to contribute towards the training of a critical mass of PhD and post-doctoral candidates, and support research and innovation in some priority thematic areas: ICTs, including big data and artificial intelligence; food security and agribusiness; minerals, mining and materials engineering; energy including renewable and climate change.
A congratulatory letter dated 9th May, 2019, to the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello indicated the selection of BUK as one of the institutions to host its PhD programmes.
It noted that the university got shortlisted after a rigorous exercise from 144 applications received.
“The selection process has been highly competitive and rigorous: Out of 144 applications received, 80 applications were found to be compliant/eligible and were each reviewed by three independent external reviewers,” the letter read in part.
“The 16 shortlisted doctoral programmes were visited for on-site validation that focused on the proposal and staff capacity. The RSIF Independent Evaluation Committee at its meeting of 24th April, 2019 discussed the results of the evaluation and recommended seven universities to be considered as PASET African Host Universities for approval by the PASET Executive Board.”
According to the letter signed by RSIF-RSU Manager, Dr. Moses Osiru, “we are pleased to inform you that following a competitive process, Bayero University and in particular, the PhD Programme in Natural Resource Management and Climate Change has been selected by the Executive Board of PASET as one of seven African Universities to host PASET doctoral scholars and RSIF research and innovation activities. An official letter from PASET confirming this will be shared with you in due course.”
The decision was taken at the RSIF’s Independent Evaluation Committee meeting on 24th April, 2019 to discuss the results of the evaluation.
EduCeleb.com gathered that the PASET’s Validation Team had on 18th April, 2019 visited BUK and evaluated the Centre for Dryland Agriculture’s (CDA) supported PhD programmes in Natural Resource Management and Climate Change (NRM&CC). The NRM&CC is hosted in the Department of Geography. During the visit, the team interacted with staff and inspected facilities of the Centre.
Prior to this latest entry, another Nigerian university on the list of PASET host universities from Nigeria is the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja.