Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State, has entered into academic agreement with the Ivano Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil & Gas, to absorb 1,500 of its students who were displaced by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

According to a statement from Dr. Cliff Ogbede, who is the representative of the University in Nigeria, the agreement was reached under the platform of the Joint Transnational Educational Programme under the Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) Transnational Educational guidelines.

Ogbede said the students would resume by September this year.

“In their quest to return students who were displaced by the war in Ukraine to class, another top rated Ukrainian academic institution-Ivano Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil & Gas, has equally signed a cooperation agreement with Igbinedion University Okada.

“This cooperation will enable their students who were displaced by the war in Ukraine to resume classroom lectures in Igbinedion University campus on a joint educational program, under the Nigerian National Universities Commission Transnational Educational guidelines.

“The joint Transnational Educational program will enable the undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Ukrainian Ivano Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil & Gas to continue their academic program uninterrupted in addition to the existing distance learning mode, as a similar model is applied in particular for the organization of academic cooperation with Universities in Turkey and some other countries.

“The joint Transnational Educational program which was recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in line with the guidelines of NUC allows Ukrainian academic institutions to continue online adaptation of study in addition to a joint educational program with highly rated foreign partner institutions. In this new collaboration, the two Universities will jointly be developing educational activities, expanding opportunities for access to all levels and forms of quality higher education, educational programs and courses, based on the recommendations of UNESCO, as well as the implementation of the right to academic mobility, which meets the basic principles of the Bologna Declaration.

“Ogbede stated that the joint collaboration is geared towards the creation of a sustainable system of educational, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two Universities, based on high international academic standards, thereby encouraging the development of regional cooperation for the harmonization of educational qualifications, implementation of effective models and forms of education that meet the current challenges and global trends, development and implementation of joint training programs and courses aimed at the capacity building of human resources, self-fulfillment of individuals, their professional competencies and economic wellbeing and improvement of academic potential in the field of research and scientific activities.

“In addition to these programs, the two Universities will expand the cooperation by ensuring quality cross-cultural communications, development of international partnerships for the commercialization of educational products, encouraging the development of the knowledge economy and enriching the scope of educational programs, disciplines and teaching experience of both institutions.

“Ogbede concluded by saying that the cooperation will enable the two institutions in future to start conducting joint educational programs, degree and qualification courses with common or dual certification, which may include the harmonization of curricula between the two Parties and mutual recognition of prior periods of study at the partner University, conducting parallel educational programs, which provides for awarding of separate certifications of each separate institution and Open and distance learning, providing for the provision of quality academic programs and courses leading to the award of qualifications, with no space or time limitations,” the statement said.

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. The invasion caused Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, with more than 6.3 million Ukrainians fleeing the country and a third of the population displaced. (Daily Trust)

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