Hensard Varsity Collaborates With Leading Scientists, Nollywood Legend, Zeb Ejiro, Others To Promote Science & Climate Research, Creative Arts

The recently founded private institution, Hensard University in Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State, has announced partnerships with eminent figures in the fields of climate research, the sciences, and the creative arts. The collaborations serve to advance Hensard University’s efforts to strengthen the Hensard Advantage in the following areas: the Film School, the Centre for Genomics and Bioscience, and the Centre for Climate Research.

The Chancellor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, met separately with Chief Zeb Ejiro, OON, a legendary figure in Nigerian cinema and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria. The two had fruitful discussions about the Department of Film and Multimedia Studies and the Film School.
Chief Ejiro commended the programme for its ability to develop future innovative businesspeople who could infuse the industry with more vitality.
Senator Dickson stated that to close gaps in the industry, the Film School provides aspiring artists with entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Additionally, he declared that the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation would be expanding the Agriculture Scholarship programme to include the Department of Film and Multimedia Studies, Environmental Sciences, and ICT.
To build on a better future for the Niger Delta, he called for more government and institutional support to develop talent in local communities.
During a different meeting, Senator Dickson announced the addition of Dr. Nnaemeka Ndodo, a renowned molecular bioengineer and the former Chief molecular bioengineer of the National Reference Laboratory of the National Centre for Disease Control to the Centre for Genomics and Bioscience at Hensard University.
The senator urged parents and students who are enthusiastic about the sciences to enroll at Hensard University, where strong foundations have been laid to cultivate the next generation of world-class scientists and innovators. The senator expressed his commitment to making the university a premier hub for scientific research.
Hensard University and the National Space Research and Development Agency’s (NASRDA) Centre for Atmospheric Research have also inked a Memorandum of Understanding. The deal was sealed at the University of Hensard. This was the second Memorandum of Understanding that Hensard University was entering into to bolster its Research Centres within its Environmental Sciences Faculty. Hensard University and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), under the direction of Professor Mansur Bako Matazu, the agency’s former director-general, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 29, 2023, which included weather and climate monitoring. On behalf of the institution, Prof. Shadrack Benson Jatau, Director of Academic Planning at Hensard and a former President of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers, signed.
Both parties committed to working together on joint research projects, scientific conferences and workshops, staff exchanges, capacity building, academic visits, student supervision, air quality and climate monitoring, and sensitization campaigns in the Niger Delta region, where pollution from oil and gas exploration is still a major concern. These actions were outlined in the NASRDA MOU.
Modern tools for studying air pollution, meteorological factors, and climate observations to develop strategies to protect human health, the environment, and ecosystems will be available at Hensard University’s new Atmospheric Science Lab.
Professor Dileep Kumar, the university’s vice-chancellor, stated that the partnership’s broad purview included important facets of climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The purpose of the MOU is to:
– Create collaborative academic and scholarly links for climate change education, research, and community services in Nigeria. The ultimate goal is to enhance the nation’s nationally determined response to the effects of climate change.
– Short–, medium-, or long-term departmental and technical staff exchange between the two institutions to ensure and advance future environmental and climate research and academic collaboration in teaching and research.
– Plan and carry out collaborative projects and make it easier for people to obtain funding from international foundations and organisations, including the Africa Development Bank, the World Bank, MNSOFF, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
– Offer climate and environmental
monitoring tools to improve instruction, research, and development, particularly in collaboration with Hensard University’s Centre for Environment and Climate Research.
– Plan collaborative conferences, workshops, symposiums, and unique short-term academic programmes in the areas of tourism, culture, and the arts.
– To improve ties between NiMET and Hensard University, exchange publications for scholarly, scientific, teaching, and climate-related information dissemination.
Collaboratively search for and submit applications for research and project grants at the national and international levels to improve collaboration on teaching, research, and development.
Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Tudunwada, the Executive Director of NASDRA, expressed his organization’s anticipation of a fruitful collaboration that would address the sector’s problems when he signed on with the organisation. The MOU was signed by Dr. Najib Yusuf Galadanci, Assistant Director of Research at NASDRA.
At the event, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, the chancellor of Hensard University, stated that the institution places a strong emphasis on conducting research that will advance knowledge and enhance humankind’s lot.
Senator Dickson stated that Hensard University teaches its students to solve problems in a variety of fields related to the demands of society. According to him, Hensard University is forming partnerships and connections to contribute to society in meaningful ways, including agreements on climate change and the environment.
Hensard University is a brand-new, cutting-edge private university committed to offering global, moral education with an emphasis on innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability.
Strong ties, partnerships, and affiliations with esteemed universities and cutting-edge research centres around the world have been established, as have its dual certification programmes, which give students the chance to obtain internationally recognised credentials. International student exchange programmes also promote cultural diversity and offer priceless experiences.
These strategic alliances between Hensard University NASRDA and NiMET demonstrate the university’s devotion to solving urgent climate issues as well as its commitment to academic excellence. Hensard University wants to innovate research, promote knowledge exchange, and support sustainable development in Nigeria by utilising the resources and experience of these esteemed organisations.
Hensard University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Dileep Kumar expressed his excitement for these partnerships and emphasised the important effects they will have on climate research and teaching. In his words, “These collaborations mark a significant turning point in our goal to establish Hensard University as a centre for climate innovation and research.” Through collaborating with NASRDA and NiMET, we can effectively contribute to regional and national efforts aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Senator Dickson’s persistent efforts to advance scientific research and the creative arts at Hensard University demonstrate his unwavering commitment to providing a variety of growth and development avenues for the university.
Hensard University hopes that by providing opportunities for young people to succeed in these crucial fields, Nigeria’s scientific and creative industries will grow in the future.