• VC calls for Robust Engagement
The Department of Languages/Linguistics/Literary Studies/Theatre Arts, Faculty of Humanities, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, recently organised its maiden German day. The event was to create awareness in the university community on the need to embrace German language, education, culture and the enduring values of the German people for our national development.



Declaring the ceremony open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba applauded the organisers, especially Miss. Olachi Opara, for the noble idea and called for robust engagement with relevant stakeholders towards embracing German culture in the university.
Represented by the Director of Research and Development, Professor Isaac I. Osakwe, he remarked that it was absolutely important to have people that work and interact in different languages, stressing that globalization has made it important for successful academics and professionals in different fields to be at least bilingual.


He maintained: “Foreign languages in our country today is fast becoming appreciable as its numerous benefits abound”, adding “Job hunters need to acquire bilingual/multilingual languages in order to sell above their contemporaries and communicate with the wider world in a most effective manner.”
The Vice-Chancellor therefore enjoined the university community to see the numerous benefits in learning German culture, adding that Germany is the second largest economy in the world because of their strong work ethics. He also directed the immediate stocking of the university library with necessary textbooks to encourage the study of German Language, stressing also the need to establish German Language Laboratory in the Department of Languages/Linguistics/Literary Studies/Theatre Arts of the university.
Earlier, the Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Professor Gloria M.T Emezue said the event was the first of its kind in the university and expressed her gratitude to the management for its support in making the day a reality.
Delivering a talk on: “Germany: An Excellent Choice for Further Studies”, the Director of Academic Planning, Professor Dr. Jonny Ogunji, presented a first-hand information on clear education path to European countries particularly, Germany.
He said:”Over 360 accredited universities were domiciled in Germany and spread across 170 cities, each, has high standard in world ranking”, and attributed their academic successes to professor-students relationship and peer-peer interactions unlike what is obtainable in our clime where professors-students relationships were zero.

Cyborg Admin, [25.06.18 14:51]
He noted that Germans have no place for indolence, adding that their ladies walk briskly like their men counterpart and mean business at all time. He further stated that research is funded through tripartite institutions which include; the German government, the university and the European Union. He equally noted that tuition fee in Germany is free and advised interested candidates to apply and run their academic programs in any of their universities, adding that students also stand the opportunity to study and engage in other work at the same time.
While buttressing his point, Professor Ogunji cited the example of his alma-mater, ‘Humboldt University’, as one of the universities that offer unique opportunities to African scholars to excel in their chosen fields but warned that, ‘’there is no room for lazy student in the university.’’ He recalled that international innovators and inventors like Albert Einstein and companies like Volkswagen, Siemens, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes Benz among others were all German companies.
‘’Germany is an Industrial Hub. Places like Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart are interesting places where commercial activities hit up the country’’, he concluded.
The event was attended by a representative of Goethe Institute, Lagos, Mr. Emeka Lukas Ike.
Speaking to the media at the end of the event, Miss Olachi Opara, noted that part of her reasons for initiating the idea of a German day in AE-FUNAI was to propagate the various opportunities inherent in studying German language, urging students to seize the opportunity in their choice of foreign languages, and appealed to the university management to approve German Language as one of the optional course choices for students. She also thanked the participants especially contingents from the University of Nigeria Nsukka for being part of the event.