Coventry Varsity Holds Open Day for Admission Seekers
Funmi Ogundare
The Coventry University, UK recently held its Open Day session for prospective students to highlight the benefits of studying there and steps to take in pursuing admission; making enquiries about courses of study and scholarship opportunities. The programme held in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
A senior lecturer in the Petroleum and Environmental Technology programme, Dr. Babatunde Anifowoshe, who briefed journalists on why the institution remains top choice for students seeking university education in the UK, described its teaching style as dynamic.
“We have courses in specific areas, which are geared towards ensuring that the graduates will be able to adapt to the everchanging dynamics of both local and global economies. We also have a programme called Faculty on the Factory Floor (FFF), which enables students studying specific courses to have a first-hand experience of putting what they are learning in the classrooms to test, in real-life working scenarios.
“With this practical experience, they are more enlightened. For a small fee, the undergradu- ates also have the opportunity of learning a foreign language.”
He said the institution is investing 100 million pounds in research and another one million pound scholarship grant for prospective Nigerian students if they meet the set criteria for access to the funds.
Reacting to the issue of human capital flight where professionals preferred to stay abroad rather than come home to make an impact, Anifowoshe said, “in those days, the rules in the UK was that when you finish, you can stay behind but it has changed now. I have a number of my students who I taught and graduated from my course who currently work in Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil.
“I also did a reference for one who got a job in Dangote refinery, so people who come to study on our programme, return to contribute to the society. Rather than look for jobs, they create jobs and set up companies in the oil and gas industry as well.”
On academic excellence, he said the institution received a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold Award from the UK government for outstanding teaching and learning, adding that Coventry University students have a high job placement rate upon graduation.