The African University of Science and Technology (AUST), a private, pan-African research university in Abuja, whose establishment was inspired by the vision of Nelson Mandela has graduated over 25 PhDs and over 400 Masters degree holders in its first decade of existence.
Also, alumni of the institution have produced high-level research findings in notable areas, including the treatment and control of cancer, renewable energy and the development of affordable alternative building materials.
The institution whose board is chaired by Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, also former World Bank Managing Director, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was established by the Nelson Mandela Institution (NMI) in collaboration with the World Bank and other international agencies in 2007, following advocacy by then South African president, the late Nelson Mandela for a youth-led renaissance, based on strengthening Africa’s capacity in science and technology.
The students of the institution who come from different African countries go through a rigorous admission process enjoy comprehensive scholarships.
Renowned Mathematician and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Oye Ibidapo-Obe, also erstwhile President of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences, serves as Vice Chair of the Board.
Speaking on the highlights of the institution’s first decade, President of AUST, Professor Kingston Nyamapfene, cited the example of the combined work and research findings by three AUST alumni – Dr. Kwabena Kan-Dapaah, Dr. John David Obayemi and Dr. Stella Dozie-Nwachukwu, which have raised hope for alternative ways to treat cancer using nano-particle technology, reducing the damage caused to healthy tissue by conventional chemotherapy.
“It is reassuring that AUST is being true to its mission because most AUST graduates find employment before or soon after graduation and, in particular, that in many cases, it was the nature and quality of their research work that prospective employers found attractive”, Nyamapfene stated.
Alumni of the institution have also earned honours for their contributions and exploits in other areas. Miss Blessing Onyeche Ugwoke, who recently completed her M.Sc.in Petroleum Engineering was selected for the “Debut in Research: Young Talents from Africa Prize” and received the Eni Award for Excellence last year. The Eni Award has sometimes been dubbed “the Nobel Prize for Energy”.
Her selection was based on the quality of her M.Sc. research work, with a thesis titled “A Study on Spherical Cap Bubble Transition Boundary for Bubbly to Slug flow”, under the supervision of Dr. Abdulkadir Mukhtar.
AUST’s academic programmes combine advanced coursework with intensive research, even at the M.Sc. level.
The university is one of only 46 World Bank African Centres of Excellence on account of its cross-disciplinary work through the Pan-African Materials Institute, which it hosts.
It is the first of a pan-African network of coeducational institutes of science and technology and centers of excellence that are located across the continent.
The institution’s programmes, which are exclusively post-graduate, are offered in five disciplinary areas: Computer Science, Material Science and Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Pure and Applied Mathematics and Theoretical/Applied Physics.
Some examples of consequential outputs by alumni of the institution in cancer research include the work of:
- Kwabena Kan-Dapaah, currently a senior lecturer in the department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana whose doctoral research work at AUST focused on “Implantable Composite Devices for the Localised Treatment of Breast Cancer”. Kan-Dapaah’s research efforts in cancer treatment seek to find [KN4] on cost-effective strategies that minimize side effects associated with conventional treatment methods. His research strategies are based on thermotherapy, which is the use of localized elevated temperature to kill cancer cells. It has received a lot of attention in global academic circles because of what has already been published in reputable journals and due to its minimal side effects and potential synergy with conventional treatment methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- John David Obayemi, currently an Assistant Research Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United States. Obayemi’s Ph.D research at AUST, “Nano- and Micro-particles for the Detection and Treatment of Cancer” focused on the development of engineered theranostic nanoparticles/drug clusters/medical devices, as well as tissue engineered structures for specific targeting and controlled localized treatment of cancer.
- Stella Obiageli Ozie-Nwachukwu researched “Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Targeted Drug Delivery” in her Ph.D. research at AUST. Her research dissertation showed that gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are capable of providing non-toxic carriers for drug and gene delivery applications. With these systems, the gold core imparts stability to the assembly, while the monolayer allows tuning of surface properties such as charge and hydrophobicity. An additional attractive feature of AuNPs is their interaction with thiols, providing an effective and selective means of controlled intracellular release.
AUST’s integrated and thematic approach which reflects the global standard, makes it possible for several researchers to work simultaneously on different aspects in the same areas of study. But it is flexible enough to allow one researcher to concentrate on one aspect of the work in detail and then link into the work of other team members to provide a comprehensive and holistic solution.
This approach enables the maximization of time and effort in a world were challenges are becoming increasingly more complex.
