UniAbuja establishes Institute on publishing studies
- To provide professional trainings for publishers
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has established International Institute for Publishing Studies (IIPS) designed to provide professional training for individuals and corporate organizations that are interested in publishing and other literary works.
UniAbuja Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja, on Friday, that the Institute was established after the likes of similar Institutes in Oxford University, University College London, and several others across the world.
He further explained that the Institute was established to address the obvious quality and professional gaps in publishing works in Nigeria, adding that the bold initiative was also aimed at promoting academic standards, ethical and professional values of publishing studies and profession in Nigeria and globally.
He said: “It took us years to deeply understudy similar Institutes that have been making great impact across the world, and we are confident that the new Institute in our Campus will make similar or greater impact than its likes in developed countries.
“Our aspiration is to have high quality programme in publishing that will contribute substantially to the skills and development of academic institutions, private businesses and professionals, government and law enforcement sectors, as well as those who seek to become publishers around the world.”
He confirmed that students of the Institute would have opportunities for experiential learning with state-of-the-art facilities and networking with renowned international scholars from the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa and Nigeria, among others.
The VC said that being a Professional Masters Programme, students would be admitted using the minimum admission criteria, perhaps, in two streams for April and August, and admissions process could run from November to December for January intakes and June to July for August intakes.
He, thus appreciated the support received from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) which, he said, was instrumental to the erecting of a new structure in the campus for the Institute.
Director of the Institute, Prof. Wolumati Ogbondah, in his remarks, explained that the Institute will solve the challenges of the activities of “untrained” people that found themselves in publishing circle by accident.
He said: “Being the first in Nigeria, we would bring in best hands to provide academic and non-academic services to students. Two Professors from foreign universities have been invited to join the Institute, and we expect more good hands from local and international institutions to come onboard sooner than expected to provide quality academic and non-academic services to students.
He encouraged interested individuals and corporate organizations to key into the professional activities of the Institute to acquire new skills in publishing or get their existing skills enhanced/sharpened.
He confirmed that the Institute has established partnership with several professional bodies in Nigeria and beyond that are interested in the activities of the Institute, expressing optimism that students that would pass through the Institute would be the best material for Nigeria and the world.
