Stats: 3,183,651 members, 7,921,412 topics. Date: Thursday, 15 August 2024 at 02:32 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Prudentniger's Profile / Prudentniger's Posts
(1) (of 1 pages)
![]() |
REDEEMER’S UNIVERSITY: IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Founded in 2005 by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the Redeemer’s University (RUN), was conceived to transform the educational landscape in Nigeria. The University in its first seven years has been making fundamental statements in the education sector and working in the direction of becoming one of the top universities in the world. The University is daring to be positively different and producing future leaders. Indeed, the Redeemer’s University is in its season of divine favour. In fact, this is the set time for its manifestation. It is important to state, from the outset, that the University was not established to increase the numerical figures of private institutions in the country. Neither was it put in place as an ego-boosting mechanism to score or prove a point. Rather, RUN was set up for the specific goal of producing God’s battle instruments who would be evangelists for Christ, unparalleled in academic excellence and second to none in creativity and entrepreneurial innovations. The Visitor, Pastor E. A. Adeboye sums up the vision in these words: the University will not mass-produce graduates but will produce leaders that would be world changers. In order to realize this much-cherished vision, the University has put in place the following strategic codes of conduct and principles of operation: i. The principle of independence and non-interference. ii. Availability of facilities and resources for academic and professional excellence. iii. A robust spiritual platform that would precipitate the realization of the evangelistic vision of the proprietors and, of course, raise God-fearing citizens for the nation. iv. Leadership that is based on merit and divine choice. v. Enforcement and maintenance of discipline in all its ramifications. vi. Academic freedom and creative expression. vii. Honours and awards for deserving students and members of staff. It is instructive to note that the Redeemer’s University has so far operated within the demands, requirements and dictates of its vision and standard practice. The principle of non-interference is absolutely in force so the University enjoys remarkable independence. For instance, the overall administration of the institution is coordinated by the Vice-Chancellor and his team, in the true tradition of the University system including the use of committees. And this principle of freedom has been in effect since its inception in 2005. The insinuation in some quarters of a possible interference by the proprietors on matters of admission and related issues is therefore baseless and misleading. Perhaps, it should be added here that the Visitor, though a pastor, is also a scholar and a versatile university administrator who knows the rules of the game. As a matter of fact, he comes to the University only on special and ceremonial occasions. In spite of the fact that we are still in our temporary site, the University has made its marks in the comity of tertiary institutions in the country and beyond. Several foreign institutions are already exploring the possibility of collaborating with us. It is also gratifying that some of our students do qualify as chartered accountants, insurers, marketers and the like even as undergraduates. Quite an appreciable number of our products are on their postgraduate studies around the world. A few of them already have their Master’s Degrees in renowned universities in South Africa, Europe and North America and some are working in reputable companies within and outside the country. Our target is a world-class university equipped with state-of-the-heart infrastructural and medical facilities. We are not yet there. But with the Ede permanent site project already going on, we see our dreams come to pass faster than we imagined. Within the short period of the University’s existence, it has made some modest achievements, awards, honours and distinctions some of which are: (1) Recently, Redeemer’s University was awarded the best IT driven institution in Ogun State by the Nigeria Computer Society, Ogun State Chapter (See page 37 of Daily Independent, May 14, 2012 and page 35 of The Nigerian Guardian, May 16, 2012 story on the award). (2) We have it on record that some of our students in Computer Science obtained their IT Certification even as undergraduates. (3) The University Physics Laboratory ranks among the best in the country in terms of quality equipment and personnel and this was attested to by the NUC Accreditation Team to the University during the 2010 accreditation visit. The outcome of that exercise was full accreditation status for the programme. (4) The Department of Physical Sciences of the Redeemer’s University is actively involved in the activity of the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) and the International Scientific Research Programme of global cooperation in the spirit of International Geophysical Year (IGY). (5) In collaboration with the Space Environmental Research Centre (SERC) of the Kyushu University, Japan, a flux-gate magnetometer was donated to the Department in 2008 for space-weather studies. The equipment code-named MAGDAS, an acronym for Magnetic Data Acquisition Programme, located in the MAGDAS Observatory, was commissioned in April 2008. MAGDAS is a worldwide array of magnetometers for the acquisition of geomagnetic data that could be used for monitoring devastating phenomena like earthquake and tremors, landslide, flooding and sudden ionospheric disturbances. MAGDAS observations are conducted at over 50 locations worldwide, with two such observatories in Nigeria (the University of Ilorin and the Redeemer’s University). (6) To alleviate the challenges faced by some students who midway through their studies, their parents are unable to continue the sponsorship of such students, the University set up the Students’ Support Scheme. The Visitor to the University donated N10 million to the Scheme and other corporate bodies and individuals, including staff members have been donating to the Scheme. The Support Scheme has gone a long way to enable quite a sizeable number of students to complete their courses of study in the University. To date, more than N20,000,000 has been expended to assist about 150 students pay their fees. (7) The University is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the Association of African Universities (AAU), Council for Advancement and Support of Education, USA (CASE) among others. ( ![]() (9) The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), the body statutorily saddled with the responsibility of regulating advertising practice in Nigeria, has accredited the Advertising component of the Mass Communication Programme of the University. The regulatory agency, in its letter conveying the full accreditation status to the University, avers: “Council has considered the report of its Accreditation Team (to the programme) and is satisfied with the Advertising content of your Curriculum and Facilities for producing graduates suited for the Advertising Profession. We accordingly convey approval for full Accreditation Status to your Department of Mass Communication”. (10) The Redeemer’s University received the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) accreditation certificate on Friday, 18th March, 2011. It should be stressed at this point, that Redeemer’s University has a definite mandate of raising job-creating entrepreneurs rather than job-seeking graduates. Besides, the Visitor to the University has, at various fora, emphasised the need for RUN students (and members of staff) to be involved in activities that would get them closer to God and be useful in their generation. This explains the recognition given by the University to Church attendance and Bible study projects. The supporting argument for this move is obvious: If RUN is to raise leaders who would in turn, raise the dead, and then create jobs for people, then such a group of individuals must serve God willingly, attend services and study their Bibles diligently. It, therefore, stands to reason that any student, who raises objection to encouraging and motivating steps taken in this regard, is simply resistant to positive changes that will make him/her better in life. The University is blessed with seasoned and erudite scholars including former Vice-Chancellors and internationally renowned academics. While this is surely not the platform to articulate the qualifications of Professor Debo Adeyewa for the office of a Vice-Chancellor, it is however, instructive to point out here that he is not a starter. Before he became the Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, he had served in various capacities of University administration, including that of two-term Deputy Vice-Chancellor of a Federal University. He is also an internationally recognised scholar. He is a leader with high level of communication and public relations skills. In fact, the divine mandate he enjoys trumps his academic achievements. He is not just qualified for the job, he is supernaturally endowed for the assignment. And as the saying goes, God Himself qualifies the chosen. There is no institution that can thrive in an atmosphere of indiscipline and recklessness. Even the Holy Scripture affirms (in I Corinthians 14:40) that all things must be done decently and in order. And where such a citadel of learning is fundamentally Christ-centred, the factor of discipline becomes a strategic one. While the Redeemer’s University is strict on matters of morality, decency and discipline, our sanctions always have a human face. In line with our policy of creative expression, the University gives ample opportunities to all stakeholders through the following platforms: Students’ Forum, Staff Forum and Parents’ Forum to freely express their opinions, grievances and suggestions. It is, however, quite clear, that the derogative innuendos usually unleashed on Faith-Based Universities are merely the outbursts and lamentations of those who are not ready to live by the rules. There are those who want to enjoy the glamour of the Redeemer without paying the price of the redeemed. To those set of people and their representatives and agents, we refuse to be apologetic! We will not allow Redeemer’s University to be turned into a haven for cultists, drug addicts, moral perverts and thieves. The Redeemer’s University, as the name implies, is an institution that is Christ-based. It is rooted on the notion of integrity, truth, holiness, transparency, sincerity, and, above all, godliness. Omosola Akinlemi Information and Protocol Officer Redeemer’s University Website: www.run.edu.ng Email: akinlemio@run.edu.ng Phone:0806-071-8873
|
(1) (of 1 pages)
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 23 |