The authorities of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Yokogawa Nigeria Limited for a six-month industrial training programme for students in the College of Engineering.
In a statement made available to The Tide, the management while receiving the team from Yokogawa, recently in his committee room, Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, who lauded the company for its partnership, tasked them on the need to be fully committed to implementing the MoU to the letter.
We want you to be involved in the training of our  students and provide capacity building for staff.  We can also arrange exchange programmes, short courses, including video conferencing for the benefit of both parties”, he added.
In his response, Managing Director of the Company, Kazuo Hiraki, who was accompanied by Human Development Coordinator, Inyiagu Chukwuebuka, expressed the desire of the company to provide hands-on training on industrial automation to students, that would also conclude lectures and laboratory sessions.
“Yokogawa will also provide the necessary hardware, software, trainers and facilities needed for the programme”, he said. Director, Centre for Information and Telecommunication Engineering (CITE), Professor Monima Briggs who spoke on the proposed Master’s Degree programme, disclosed that the course curriculum and content would be jointly developed by the university and the company.
“The programme would be handled by university lecturers and experts from related industries we hope to establish a Human Resources Centre for oil and aas industries in the area of industrial automation,” he said.
He noted that it would also comprise exposure practical training and field trip to Yokogawa workstations.
Also present at the occasion was the Acting Head, Department of Electronics and computer Engineering, Dr Bourdillwn Omijeh.

Sogbeba Dokubo