Rank universities on research capabilities, UNIPORT VC urges FG

By  JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT—Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, has called on the Federal Government to urgently set up a national agency to regulate and rank research capabilities of universities and evaluate their annual research output in the country to save university education in the country.

Ajienka, who spoke, weekend, at Choba, Port Harcourt, ahead of the University’s 28th convocation coming up on  Saturday, said the research assessment should be based on internationally recognised standards and issues with local values.

He also called for the expansion of the local content initiative of the government to cover all industries,  adding that universities in the country should be encouraged to build capacity to achieve the local content drive.

Professor Ajienka said 5,756 grandaunds would bag certificates and various degrees at the convocation,  while 14 of them would receive first class honours and 817 second class upper division degrees.

He said the university would honour four of its  distinguished intellectual giants as part of the convocation programme, which would  commence tomorrow with a convocation lecture to be delivered  by the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa.