Nigeria Records 5 PhD Graduates at Rhodes University
By Emeka Umejei – Grahamstown, South Africa – Nigeria recorded another milestone at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa over the weekend, when the country accounted for five doctorate degree graduates among the 55 that the University graduated in 2012.
All the five doctorate graduates emerged from the faculty of Science of Rhodes University, with four from Chemistry department, and one from Botany.
The five doctorate graduates include Arowolo Folake temitope (Chemistry); Idahosa Kenudi Christiana (Chemistry); Jimoh Mahboob Adekilekun (Botany); Olomola Temitope Oloruntoba (Chemistry); and Sobola Abdullahi Owolabi (Chemistry).
According to Rhodes University, a total of 2233 degrees were conferred on students at the graduation ceremony that held from April12-14 at Slave Monument in Grahamstown.
Stating further, the University noted that 901 postgraduate degrees and 1 332 undergraduate degrees were conferred at the ceremonies.
The University disclosed that , 62% or 1 379 of the total graduating students were women, and 441 or 20% were international students from 32 different countries across Africa, and the world.
In his remark, Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr Saleem Badat, admonished the new graduates to remember that they are among the best and brightest of the society.
“It’s to them that we will be looking for leadership, for them to re-imagine and reshape our future, to forge new ways of conducting our affairs, to make human development, people and social justice the vital centre of all our actions,”Badat said.
“We look to you to exercise, with humility, leadership wherever you find yourself – in the classrooms and schools of our lands; in hospital and clinic dispensaries; in legal practices, prosecution offices and courts; in research institutions and scientific laboratories; in financial and public services, and in the media and universities.”
He urged the new graduates that they must put their leadership not only for private good but for the betterment of society.
