Seven years after establishment, FUOYE introduces postgraduate programmes

Seven years after it was established, the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, has been accredited to offer post-graduate studies.The courses approved, according to the acting Registrar of the school, Mrs. Oyeyimika Koyejo-Fasakin, are in eight key programmes in three faculties: Agriculture, Social Science and Arts.

She said students would be admitted for masters and doctorate degrees.The courses are Agriculture Economics, Animal Science, Crop Science and Soil Science in the Faculty of Agriculture. Others are English Language and English Literature, Theatre Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Sociology, and Demographics and Social Statistics in the Faculty of Social Science.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Soremekun, said the introduction of post-graduate studies was an affirmation of one of the goals he set for himself when he was appointed to head the school two years ago.

He explained that the programme was designed to shred the myth behind postgraduate programmes run by other Nigerian universities.“We intend to take the sting out of the postgraduate school,” Soremekun said. “By this, I mean we will not delay students unduly beyond the stipulated time for the programmes and we will not compromise on quality.’’

Soremekun, who had handled postgraduate studies in several universities in Nigeria and the United States, said there was no need to unduly elongate postgraduate programmes, especially as Nigeria is in need of qualified professionals to teach in new universities springing up across the country.

A Fulbright scholar, Soremekun is also a Rockefeller and Ford Foundation fellow.“I owe a lot to the energy and drive of the last dean of the postgraduate school, Rasaki Ojo Bakare. Now, since we have opened our doors to postgraduate students, we will ensure that they receive the best teaching and research support to excel,” Soremekun said.