About 500 Chinese companies will visit Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, to recruit graduating students with knowledge of Chinese Language to work in China.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Joseph Ahaneku, disclosed this on Monday in his office while addressing journalists on the 13th Convocation ceremony of the institution scheduled to hold on Thursday.

His words: “It was one of the benefits of Confucius Institute programme being run by Unizik in which interested students in all faculties study Chinese Language as an elective before their graduation.

“Hundreds of students from the university were already in China on exchange programme, while many Chinese students are currently in UNIZIK to study Igbo Language.

“The institution would soon start a programme in Spanish. I have already visited a university in Spain to conclude arrangements on the new programme expected to take off next academic session.”

Prof. Ahaneku disclosed that UNIZIK would at the occasion graduate 7,731 students who completed their programmes at the university last academic session, out of which 54 graduands made first class.

He said that 6,641 graduates would be awarded first degree, 190 would get Post-Graduate Diplomas, 674 Master’s degree while 227 persons would get Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The VC said that out of the 54 persons that obtained first class, the Faculty of Management Sciences got the highest number with 17, followed by Biological Sciences, seven; Agriculture, five; Arts, four; Engineering, four; Environmental Sciences, four; and Physical Sciences, five.

Prof. Ahaneku named Senator Ben Obi, former National Secretary, CareTaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as one of the three persons to be awarded honorary doctorate degrees. He said that Obi would get Doctor of Law (LLD); Alhaji Sani Daura, Doctor of Public Administration (DPA); and a Chinese resident in Nigeria, Chief Jacob Wood, would get Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).

Ahaneku noted that the Minister of Transportation, Chief Chibike Amechi, would deliver the convocation lecture titled ‘The Position of Igbo in Nigerian Politics’ on Wednesday, describing the Minister as the right person to speak on the topic.

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