Consuming bushmeat is thought to have contributed to the outbreak of Ebola in west Africa. Countries in the region are trying to slow down consumption.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
The Rivers State University of Science and Technology
The Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Port Harcourt was established in October, 1980 from the Rivers State College of Science and Technology which was itself established in 1972. It is located at Nkpolu-Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the first Technological University in Nigeria and the first state owned State University in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The motto of the University is “Excellence and Creativity”. The University has a staff strength of 1,870 and a student population of 29,939 15000. The University is ranked as the 16th 12th among 80 other Universities in Nigeria. The language of instruction in the institution is English.
The Mandate of the University
RSUST was established to:
Produce scientific and technical manpower of various levels needed for essential development;
Produce technical and science teachers for developmental programmes;
Assist in the industrial and other developmental programmes through consultancy services, special project centres and related activities;
Encourage the advancement of learning to all persons without distinction or race, creed, sex or political conviction the opportunity of acquiring a higher and liberal education;
Provide courses of instruction and other facilities for the pursuit of learning in all the faculties and institutes, and to make facilities available on proper terms of such persons as are equipped to benefit from them;
Encourage and promote scholarship and conduct research in all fields of learning and human endeavour;
Relate its activities to the social, cultural and economic needs of the people of Nigeria; and
Undertake any other activities appropriate for a University of the highest standard.
Faculties/Schools
The University has seven faculties; Agriculture, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Law, Management Sciences, Science and Technical and Science Education; and a Postgraduate School.
Institutes/Centres
RSUST has five Institutes; Institute of Foundation Studies, Pollution Studies, Education, RIART, Geosciences and Space Technology.
Centres
It has three Centres: Centre for Continuing Education, Centre for Special projects, Information and Communications Technology Centre.
Academic Programmes
The University runs 37 programmes at the undergraduate level and 86 at the postgraduate level.
Relocation of RSUST to Greater Port Harcourt City
The Rivers State Government has concluded plans for the development of a new City called Greater Port Harcourt City to decongest the already over crowded Port Harcourt. Its development has already commenced and with the new City would be established a new campus where the present Rivers State University of Science and Technology would be relocated to. According to Government’s mission statement on this, “The new University will be a leading Centre of academic excellence in Africa and beyond; a world class University with world-class facilities, which will be manned by a team of committed administrators, academics and researcher of high caliber, who share the founding vision of the new University to be ranked among the best 1,000 Universities in the world by 2020. It is hoped that by the time this objective is realized, there is no doubt that RSUST will be equal to none in Nigeria and indeed in Africa.
