RSUST: Beyond The Rhetorics

The Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Nkpolu, Port Harcourt recently held its 35th matriculation ceremony. At the event, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Blessing Didia said the institution will produce graduates that would provide and not seek employment. Didia said the university places emphasis on the functionality of its courses as an entrepreneurial institution that would equip the students with skills to be independent.
The Tide congratulates the RSUST on its 35th matriculation ceremony which underscores its over three decades of training skilled manpower for the state and nation. We also commend the institution’s Vice Chancellor for the vision of re-engineering and rebranding the university’s curricula to provide solutions to contemporary socio-economic developmental challenges of society.
RSUST has a rich history of growth and modest achievements from its establishment in October, 1971 as College of Science and Technology, through the Rivers State Government Edict No 10 of 1970 to its transformation to a pioneer University of Science and Technology in Nigeria on August 6, 1980.
In the 10 years of its existence as College of Science and Technology, the institution has fulfilled its objective of producing intermediate level manpower for Rivers State and Nigeria.
This “unique and uncommon university,” according to the founding fathers has the objective to train appropriate manpower to tackle problems of its peculiar ecology.
Thirty-seven years down the road as the first university of Technology in Nigeria, RSUST, inspite of its modest achievements in manpower development, is yet to realise its full potentials.
We recall with pride that the institution was rated 12th best in the country recently, following the accreditation of its courses and information technology modernisation. But the institution needs to do more to fulfill its core mandate of not only producing skilled employers of labour but serving as research and invention incubation centre. RSUST must evolve courses and programmes that address the peculiar challenges of the Niger Delta environment and its resources utilisation and management.
The Institute of Geosciences and Space Technology in the institution, for instance, is one whose establishment was, no doubt, informed by the need to address the challenges of our environment and launch into orbital exploration. Its achievements so far, are either unimpressive or unsung.
This is why the RSUST must move beyond rhetorics to aggressively realise the vision of the founding fathers, RSUST must leverage on the zeal, commitment and enthusiasm of its visionary Visitor, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to make the institution a reference point for excellence.
Beyond rhetorics, the Governing Council, management and staff of RSUST must queue behind Prof Blessing Didia in the institution’s new focus on the functionality of its courses. Even so, research and invention are the hallmarks of reputable universities world wide and RSUST should continue to take initiatives that not only promote but also exhibit and proliferate its technological research and inventions.
While we urge the state government to continue to provide adequate and sustained funding of the institution, we implore the university to explore the organised private sector for the funding of its programmes and projects.
The oil and gas firms operating in the state should prove their social corporate responsibility by funding research and development in the institution while eminent individuals should float endowment funds (Professorial Chairs) to promote research and academic excellence.
We note that a core tradition of universities is the exchange programme and bilateral and multi-lateral pacts. RSUST should therefore explore this tradition and opportunities to make itself relevant and competitive in the global arena.
The new RSUST must produce graduates who are not only found worthy in character and learning, it must also produce researches and inventions, beyond rhetorics in line with the vision of its founding fathers.