University of Greenwich

1. University of Greenwich YOU ARE VERY WELCOME ………

2. EEESPEC PROJECT: EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS IN AFRICA PROGRAMME* “Embedding Employability and Entrepreneurship Skills into Post-Graduate Degree Courses” *Funded by the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and administered by the British Council Professor Ndy Ekere Dean, School of EngineeringUniversity of Greenwich Further Details: Project Website: www.eeespec.org Email: n.n.ekere@gre.ac.uk 28th March 2011

3. My Educational Background & Work Experience…. Educational Background 1981 BEng. [Honours] Mechanical Engineering (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria) 1984 MSc Flexible Manufacturing Systems & Robotics (Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK) 1987 PhD Manufacturing Engineering (UMIST, Manchester, United Kingdom) 1992 Chartered Engineer, MIEE (The Institution of Electrical Engineers, UK) 2004 Fellow of IEE, FIEE (now FIET) (The Institution of Electrical Engineers, UK) Work Experience • 2002 - Date: Dean of School Engineering and • Professor of Manufacturing, • University of Greenwich • 2005 – 2009 Member of Board of Governors, • West Kent College Tonbridge Kent • 1998 – 2002 Professor of Manufacturing • Engineering, and Associate Head of • School/Director for Research, • University of Salford • 1996 – 1998 Senior Lecturer in Manufacturing • Engineering, University of Salford, • 1989‑1996 Lecturer in Manufacturing • Engineering, University of Salford • 1989 Lecturer in Manufacturing • Engineering, Nottingham Trent • University, Nottingham • 1988‑1989 Postdoctoral Fellow UMIST, • Manchester • 1987‑1988 Project Assistant, UMIST, • Manchester • 1982‑1983 Mechanical Engineer, Project • Construction and Terminals • Operations, Shell Petroleum • Corporation, Warri, Nigeria

4. University of Greenwich .. Former Woolwich Polytechnic .. Established 1890 • Second ‘Polytechnical Institute’ to be founded in the UK • to promote ‘the industrial skill, general • knowledge, health and well-being of young • people belonging to the poorer classes’. • Woolwich Polytechnic focused on providing high quality education in science and in technical subjects such as engineering, as well as art, commercial studies and domestic management. Quintin Hogg

5. University of Greenwich 3 CAMPUSES Greenwich Maritime Campus, Greenwich Greenwich Maritime, Eltham London Medway Campus, Chatham Kent

6. Nine Schools 1. Architecture and Construction2. The Business School3. Computing & Mathematical Sciences4. Education and Training5. Health and Social Care 6. Humanities & Social Sciences7. School of Engineering 8. Medway School of Pharmacy 9. School of Science

7. University of Greenwich Alumni Wins Nobel Prize for Physics, 2009 Professor Charles Kao CBE (1957 Woolwich Polytechnic) BEng in Electrical Engineering and graduated in 1957 • Pioneer in fibre optics, Standard Telecommunications Laboratories • (STL) in Harlow • Later Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University in Hong Kong • His research enabled the use of fibre optics in telecommunications and led to the development of the internet, video conferencing and electronic commerce

8. Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards, June 2010 Outstanding International Strategy award Expertise in Capacity Building (1). Tabeisa Project (with 4 African Universities): Generating Employment for disadvantaged communities through small business creation, the project supported over 100 commercial start-ups) • (2). Partnership with MSA University in Cairo: Collaborative programmes (over 2000 undergraduate students are enrolled) • (3). Collaborative Programme development: in Ethiopia, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya • (4). Natural Resources Institute (NRI): • Capacity building through PhD’s with Kebbi State University, Nigeria and many collaborative research projects. • (3). Education Partnerships in Africa: • Partnership with three Nigerian Universities

9. University of Greenwich – Awards for Research & Teaching Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher Education, 2008 • Professor John Humphries, Tabeisa Project • 'tackling root causes of poverty in Africa' • The Knowledge Base Collaboration Award 2008 • Professor Chris Bailey, School of Computing and MathematicsUniversity of Greenwich/Knowledge East working with Cutty Sark Trust • Professor Steve Torr, NRI University of Greenwich, 2009 • Tsetse fly control discovery voted as one of the ten most important discoveries to be made in a UK university over the past 60 years. Times Higher Education Awards 2010 • Tony Mann, Innovative Teacher of the Year Award

10. Some Definitions: Employability & Entrepreneurship Employability: A range of achievements, understandings, and personal attributes that make their possessors more likely to gain employment and be successful in their careers Entrepreneurship: The practice of starting new organizations or revitalizing mature organizations. An entrepreneur undertakes the risk of a business or similar enterprise. • Type of Skill: • Self-reliance skills (e.g. Planning action, proactivity, networking, etc.) • People skills (e.g. Team working, interpersonal, communications, etc.) • General employment skills (e.g. problem solving, numeracy, etc.) • Specialist skills (e.g. technical skills such as engineering, accounting, etc.)

11. UK-Nigeria Education Summit at Abuja (October 2008) • High Unemployment rate at 40% of annual turn over; • Applicants outnumber placement by more than 3:1; • Staffing levels at 40% below planned level; • Postgraduate programmes pursued as a stop-gap pending employment

12. Skills Deficit – Workplace Awareness/Experience • Federal Government of Nigeria’s SIWES provides workplace experience for undergraduates; • For science, engineering, environmental and business courses only; • Admission quota is 40:60 for arts and sciences respectively; • 40% of annual turnover of graduates without employability skills; • Employability skills are rarely taught in PG Courses; • Majority of PG students are unemployed on completion of the degree programme.

13. EPA 3: PROJECT DETAILS ….……….. • Nigerian Project Partners: • Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State • University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State • Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State Project Duration: October 2009 to March 2011 • UK Project Partner • University of Greenwich, UK (Lead Partner) Project Title:Developing high level employability skills through collaborative development of postgraduate programmes http://www.eeespec.org/project.htm

14. PROJECT AIMS ….……….. • Project Focus: • Engineering and Technology • Computing and Information Technology (with a focus on • Mobile computing, wireless technologies and networking) • International business (with focus on Management and leadership) • Project Aims: • Collaborate in postgraduate programme development and • Create forward looking courses in which entrepreneurship • and employability are firmly embedded

15. How can E & E Skills be captured in PG Degree Curriculum ? • KEY CURRICULUM DESIGN/RE-DESIGN QUESTIONS • What content shall we deliver? • What strategies should be employed to deliver and assess this content? • How best do we operate within the existing and future professional environment? • How best can we facilitate the employability and entrepreneurship of our graduates? • CURRICULUM AUDITING: • Testing how & where E & E related learning can be embedded • Core discipline specific learning (e.g. disciplinary content and skills expressed as expected learning outcomes) • Generic transferable skills (e.g. management of self, others, information and task)

16. How are aspects E/E Developed within Curriculum ? • DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC – NOT “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” • Employability/Entrepreneurship through whole curriculum? • Employability/Entrepreneurship in the core curriculum? • Work-based or work-related learning? • Employability/Entrepreneurship modules? • Work-based or work related learning in parallel? WHICH IS THE MOST PRACTICAL /COST EFFECTIVE ?

17. What should the Postgraduate be able to do? • THREE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF EMPLOYABILITY • Employers Perspective: discipline knowledge/skills as well as workplace awareness/experience • Student Perspective: possessing attributes that makes one attractive to employers, successful careers • University’s Perspective: developing PG students, to enhance their academic learning, to broaden their perspectives and experience and enable them to actively enter the workforce. HOW ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT - THEIR PERSPECTIVE?

18. Project Launch Event at ABSU – March 2010 • Conference declared open and chaired by ABSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa • Attendance-over 500 made up of students, lecturers and PG Employers • Presentations by Project partners • Open forum and discussions • Plenary session on employability strategies

19. Strategic Dialogue with Employers and visit to Industries • Visits to Banks, Insurance Companies and Manufacturers; • Discussion with members of Alumni Association • Visit to Oil Companies-SPDC, Adax, Agip and Mobil; • Dialogue with Personnel Unit of Ministries.

20. Curriculum Development Seminar at UoG (June 2010) • Conference declared open by Prof. Tom Barnes Deputy-VC for Research and Enterprise University of Greenwich; • Presentation by • Prof. K. Rajah, Director School of Business, Tshwame University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa; • Prof. Leslie Johnson, Dean of School of Business, UoG; • Simon Walker, Head Education Development Team UoG; • Raj Bhatti, Head of PG, School of Engineering, UoG; • Prof. Akii Ibhodade, Faculty of Engineering, UNIBEN; • Prof. Martin Nwafor, HoD of Mechanical Engineering, FUTO; • Prof. I.U. Kalu, Dean School of Environmental Studies, ABSU • Site visits to Aylesford Newsprint and Delphi Diesel Systems Factory

21. Dissemination Event at UNIBEN (5 October 2010) • Chaired by the Deputy VC Academic who represented the Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN; • Presentations by Prof. I.U. Kalu of ABSU; Prof. Ndy Ekere of UoG; Prof. Martin Nwafor of FUTO; Prof. Akii Ibhadode & Dr. John Akpobi of UNIBEN, • Open sessions featured contribution by Dean of Engineering Prof. F. O. Edeako, Prof. G. Ovuworie of Dept. of Prod. Engineering, alumni and employers of labour.

22. Dissemination Event, UNIBEN, 5 Oct 2010 Dissemination Event, UoG, 18 Feb 2011 EPA Curriculum Development Seminar University of Greenwich, June 2010

23. UK-Nigeria Universities Postgraduate Employability Network (UNUPEN) WORKING TOGETHER WORKS ! http://www.eeespec.org/unupen/members.htm

24. UNUPEN: Opportunities for Partnership UK – Nigeria Universities Postgraduate Employability Network • UNUPEN Network was established in June 2010 • UK and Nigerian Partners on EPA Project on the development of postgraduate employability skills “ …. The main aim of the Network is to promote and facilitate interaction and exchange between UK and Nigerian Universities in the area of graduate and post-graduate employability” ……

25. UK – Nigeria Universities Postgraduate Employability Network …. “Working to create a research community in the area of PG employability, by developing interactions between the UK-Nigeria university research community and industrial groups” ….. How? Facilitate the sharing of research results, experience, best practice and insights; Promote mobility between academe, universities and industry.

26. WORKING WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS • The Network works with others in the University, Industry, Government and voluntary sectors • Supporting the development of employability skills in postgraduate students and to facilitate their entry into the world of work” … “Building links between UK and Nigerian Universities, employers and the network of government, voluntary sector and community organisations working on graduate employability”

27. Summary of Aims and Objectives of the Network • In realisation of the objectives of the EPA-3 Project • Promotion and facilitation of interaction and exchanges between UK and Nigeria Universities in the area of employability; • Build links between UK and Nigerian Universities, employers and government on employability; • Sharing of research results, experience and best practices; • Promotion of exchange visits between universities in both countries • Organise Seminars and Workshops to promote postgraduate employability

28. UNUPEN - JUSTIFICATION • Virtual community of UK-Nigeria Academic staff with employability and entrepreneurship bias; • Collaborative research (bidding, execution & dissemination of results); • Capacity building for the proposed Departments of Entrepreneurships to be established in Nigerian Universities

29. UNUPEN – THE FUTURE • Sustaining work of UNUPEN through partnership with stake-holders (Co-hosting Seminars and Workshops in Nigeria &UK); • Network will provide mentoring support for Nigerian Postgraduate students studying in the UK; • Support from Key Stakeholders in Nigeria (such as NUC, ACU, PTDF, ETF, etc.)

30. Current Membership and Activities • Members include academics from UK and Nigerian Universities (currently drawn from 6 UK Universities and 8 Nigerian Universities) http://www.eeespec.org/unupen/members.htm • Activities • Organises events such as seminars, workshops and conferences to promote discussion and dissemination of research in this field (using mostly electronic communications), • Providing other opportunities for dissemination and debate on this very important agenda • Mentoring Nigerian Students studying in the UK • …….. ETC ……

31. Conclusions - Postgraduate Employability in Nigeria • Nigerian Businesses facing the same global challenges: uncertain demand, volatile economy, world-wide competition for talent and income, managing uncertainty and risk …. • Challenging Global Economic Climate: • - Requires an entrepreneurial response • Nigerian Government trying to develop Entrepreneurship: establishment of Entrepreneurship Departments in each University; …. But Knowledge economy with graduate and postgraduate knowledge exchange key to national growth ….

32. … Framework for Developing Entrepreneurial Postgraduates • UNIVERSITIES • Top level leadership by VC’s… providing visible leadership... • Academics … take ownership, enable curriculum change ... • PG Students ….. value learning experiences …. • BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY (and other Employers) • Businesses … be fully involved to enrich student learning … • Industry …. develop effective in-course industrial training … • NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT: • Better funding … recognise importance University education • Employability … invest in employability development … • Tougher regulation & Standards …. Address technical skills gaps in specific fields of HE, ensure tougher regulations ..

33. EXAMPLES OF WHAT UNIVERSITIES ARE DOING • TIME IN INDUSTRY AS INTEGRAL PART OF DEGREE • SANDWICH (Thin or thick Sandwich Programmes) • ATTACHMENT (Industrial Placements) • ENTREPRENEURIAL COURSES/MODULES • COMPULSORY ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES (e.g. Core) • RUNNING BUSINESSES (Business start-ups) • SKILLS TRAINING (Professional mentoring by entrepreneurs)

34. ……. NIGERIA SPECIFIC ISSUES • JOB CREATION ESSENTIAL • GOVERNMENTS NOT COPING • PRIVATE SECTOR STILL UNDER-DEVELOPED • GRADUATES MUST BE SEEN AS POTENTIAL CREATORS OF EMPLOYMENT • NEED TO CHANGE FROM JOB-SEEKING MINDSET & INCULCATE JOB CREATION SKILLS • HELPING WITH FINANCING START UPS • INVESTING IN INNOVATION HUBS (SCIENCE PARKS)

35. University of Greenwich THANK YOU

36. The End …