By Alade Aromashodu

As part of efforts to improve Nigeria’s education standard, Bells University of Technology is now running three novel courses: Bio-medical Engineering, Bio-Technology and Mechatronics.

Apart from conventional programmes previously running in the institution, the university is poised to introduce more of such novel courses and units that will contribute towards achieving the desired goals of industrial, economic and human development in Nigeria.

Professor Adebayo Adeyemi, Vice-Chancellor of the institution said this at the 2012 International Conference on Sustenable Development and Environmental Protection, organised by the school in Ota, Ogun State, recently.

He reiterated that Bells University of Technology has started reaping the fruits of the last conference, adding that “the university has signed an MoU with North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, USA on Staff Development and Exchange Programmes. The mutual relationship, according to the VC, was conceived at the 2010 international conference held by the institution.

Professor Adeyemi stressed that the university was elated by the number of scholars and professionals of several disciplines from different parts of the globe coming together to parley on the issues of environmental sustainability which is becoming a concern in many developing countries.

The institution which commenced operations on July 1, 2005 with three colleges, currently has six colleges, namely: Natural and Applied Sciences; Information and Communications Technology; Food Sciences; Engineering; Environmental Sciences and Management Sciences, the VC noted that its conference this year was the second in the series and was co-hosted by both Bells University of Technology and Institute for Environment Research and Development (IERD).

He went on: “The university was founded by Bells Educational Foundation before it was granted operational licence by the Federal Government.”

The VC further described an International Mini Conference hosted by the institution last January 27 to 29, 2012 on “Advances in Space Weather Research in Africa” that was co-ordinated by Department of Physical Sciences as an outcome of the institution to become one of the nodal points for Space Weather Research in Africa, saying, “We will build on the gains of this Conference to synergise a research group on Space Weather Research Environmental Protection and Sustainability.”