The Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba, yesterday hosted another set of academic staff of the institution that have been offered postgraduate scholarship through the AE-FUNAI/French Collaboration to study in celebrated French Universities.
Through the collaboration, a first of its kind in the history of Nigerian University system, 35 staff of the institution are presently in various French Universities where they are either pursuing Masters or Doctorate Programmes.
Presenting the staff to the Vice-Chancellor in his office, the Director, AE-FUNAI/French Centre, Dr. Nnenna Nwosu-Nworuh noted that the staff were the 3rd batch that would be leaving for France for further studies, adding that through the collaboration the 1st and 2nd sets left in October 2016 and February 2017 respectively.

She explained that all the beneficiaries of the programme so far were doing both the University and the country proud in their various academic institutions in France, and assured the Vice-Chancellor that this 3rd set would also be diligent in their studies.

While receiving the staff, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the numerous benefits accruing to the University from the collaboration with the French Government, telling the staff to count themselves lucky to be among the beneficiaries of the programme.

He also stressed that AE-FUNAI is the only University in Nigeria that has a Postgraduate Scholarship Collaboration with the government of France, and urged the staff not to disappoint the University but to maintain the wonderful records put in place by their predecessors in order to ensure the continuity of the programme.

“We wish you the best and please, make good use of the opportunity. Most of the people who went before you are doing very well”, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor also warned against plagiarism, adding that it has no place in the academic world especially in Europe and urged them to always think logically and display a positive image of a serious-minded and honest person.


He further encouraged them to be open-minded in order to learn new things and make new friends that were not restricted to the circle of Nigerians and Africans in the country. He concluded that attitude, competence and knowledge were fundamental to academic success in Europe.

The staff who are travelling in this batch include, Oluchi Patricia Obieche, Ngozi sUgochukwu, Deborah Ginika Ude and Olachi Opara.