The 黑料网 (AUN) has been officially recognized as a partner institution by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), paving the way for fully funded master鈥檚 and PhD programs.听 To kick off the collaborations with tertiary institutions, AUN President Dr. DeWayne Frazier, accompanied by senior university officials, visited ADSU in Mubi to discuss implementation and strengthen ties.
The AUN delegation included Provost Prof. Paul Vita and Registrar and Secretary to the AUN Governing Council, Mr. Daniel Okereke. They were received by ADSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Augustine Clement, along with other members of the university leadership.
The visit focused on building institutional collaboration in areas such as staff development, research, and postgraduate training. AUN鈥檚 new status as a TETFUND partner allows academic staff from public institutions like ADSU to access scholarships for postgraduate study at AUN
In his opening remarks, Dr. Frazier described the partnership as a major milestone for private universities in Nigeria. 鈥淎bout a month ago, we received a letter that was very exciting to us, AUN accepted to be TETFUND partner school,鈥� he said.
He emphasized the convenience of the partnership, especially to ADSU given the close proximity of the two universities. 鈥�They can come, stay in Yola, and then back to Mubi on weekends if they have family. It's not a bad drive,鈥� he remarked.
Prof. Clement welcomed the initiative, calling it timely and in line with his administration鈥檚 goals. 鈥�Your proposal to collaborate with us is timely. This is a very good alternative for our staff to get quality training,鈥� he stated.
He also announced plans to establish a College of Medical Sciences and an Engineering Faculty at ADSU, and requested AUN鈥檚 support in curriculum development and faculty training.
鈥�No institution can survive without collaboration. Even in the US and UK, universities collaborate to strengthen academic programs.鈥�
AUN Registrar, Mr. Okereke reflected on the longstanding relationship between the two universities, recalling how AUN supported ADSU students during the peak of insurgency in the Northeast. 鈥�We didn鈥檛 do it for showmanship; we did it because education is our mission. One more educational institution standing also helps us stand tall.鈥�
Both institutions agreed to fast-track a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize the partnership. Prof. Clement proposed a reciprocal visit to AUN for further discussions.鈥�We will schedule a visit to AUN and draft an MoU. Once signed, we will swing into action to actualize the terms,鈥� he affirmed.
The visit concluded with a tour of ADSU鈥檚 Boni Haruna and Abubakar Barde campuses, where the AUN delegation viewed ongoing infrastructure projects and learned about the university鈥檚 plans for academic expansion, especially in the fields of medicine and engineering.