Skyline University Nigeria

Power-Up 2022 with New & Exciting Goals

At the beginning of the year 2021, we talked about some commitments, goals, and progressive actions. These goals were a continuation of our tradition of making resolutions and staying through with achieving them in order to boost our chances of having a better fulfilled year. Although 2021 turned out to be closely related to 2020. Where 2020 saw the rise of the COVID-19 Virus outbreak, 2021 witnessed the rise in vaccination against the COVID -19 virus. Surprisingly, 2021 was a good year for many individuals and organizations alike. Not many people were able to meet up however with their goals in 2021. This is not because of the struggles associated with 2021 but of having the zeal to push through, set new goals, and carry over some from the previous years. So, as the New Year begins, the first important step to making new and exciting goals is to sit back and reflect on the year that was (2021) and ask the question, what are the things that worked? What didn’t work? What do we want to continue doing in 2022? And what are the negative attitudes we have to say goodbye to? Here are a few punch lines that will help you improve academic performance, develop soft skills, and be career-ready as an undergraduate? Continue to Study Smarter Quizzing yourself is a highly effective study technique. Make a study guide and carry it with you so you can review the questions and answers periodically throughout the day and across several days. Identify the questions that you don’t know and quiz yourself on only those questions. Say your answers aloud and the result will be evident in your grades. Communicate Differently The world is a big network of connections. Some of them are of better quality than others, and your time on this earth is limited. Smart learners understand that they need high-quality connections — people around them who will inspire them, shake their worlds, and ask good and deep questions. We learn best when we are relaxed and have real friends and mentor around. Try new things. To be able to learn, our brain needs stimulation and then a good rest. Just look at how a small child explores the world, looks at everything with curiosity, then tries to put the pieces together and checks the taste. Later, the child “sleeps like a baby!” Smart learners possess that spark of curiosity and often try something new. Take part in some workshops or skill acquisition training and meet new people.

Power-Up 2022 with New & Exciting Goals Read More »

Students of Microbiology Paid Technical Visit to UMC Zhahir Hospital

As part of the training and education process in Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), students of Microbiology Department has paid a technical visit to UMC Zhahir Hospital. The Visit provides students with the knowledge of the latest treatment options required to excel in preventive medicine. This will bring about innovation and unparalleled experience and training in both routine and critical cases. The Deputy Head of Nursing Department of the hospital, Mr. Shafiu Mansoor who received the students, introduced them to the hospital’s departments, laboratories and treatment equipment. The visit highlights a meaningful discussion and exchange of opinions between the experienced practitioners at the hospital and students of Skyline University Nigeria. Skyline University Nigeria has a meaningful relationship with the UMC Zhahir Hospital. The Manager of the Hospital, Mr. Sadiq Adamu described the relationship with Skyline University Nigeria as ‘cordial’ and reiterated his continued supports to the University at all times. He further emphasized their readiness to welcome students for assignments and absorb them into the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Programme. Students’ technical visits are organized under the supervision of the Corporate Affairs Department. While giving his remarks at the event, Mr. Saka Shehu, the Corporate Affairs Supervisor of the University thanked the management of the hospital for their cooperation with SUN whenever a request is being sent to them. He also appreciated the management for their reception to the staff and students during the visit.

Students of Microbiology Paid Technical Visit to UMC Zhahir Hospital Read More »

Imperative for Journalism Safety Education in Nigeria

Introduction Journalism, as an act of information gathering and dissemination, has been in existence since time immemorial. Since human beings ‘cannot, not communicate’, the art of information gathering, processing and dissemination are sacrosanct to human civilization and development. In contemporary times, journalism has metamorphosed from its parochial scope in the age of Acta Diurna to a more advanced and more sophisticated practice attracting praise and scorn. The migration of human civilization from traditional society to the age of mass consumption as averse by Rostow 1960 (Rogers, 1976) not only transformed the societies economically but reshaped the media landscape drastically. As societies evolved, so does the media of communication and journalism practice. The continuous evolution of society portends occasional cultural shock. What was hitherto untoward or unheard of are normalized.  As this trend persists, journalism practitioners are at the receiving end of the continuous renegotiation among people in society as a result of the cultural shock. This sometimes led to conflict and violent uprisings. Journalism by its scope and orientation triumphs on drama, conflict and bizarre. The public wants the oddity. News is dictated by the unusual. And the societies keep serving the unusual through unforeseen circumstances like terrorism, banditry, ethnic uprising, coup, protest, amongst others.  According to Cottle (2017), the pursuit of oddities and the urge to keep the public updated sometimes subject journalists to threats and assault due to rampant conflict instigated by state and non-state players. The wake of insurgency in Nigeria tested the resolve of Nigerian journalists and they perform professionally without prior preparation, safety mechanism, welfare, institution backing, reporting guideline, protection gears, and most importantly, safety education (AbdulSalam, 2021). Therefore, there is a need for the inclusion of safety education as part of the mass communication and journalism training curriculum in Nigeria. Journalism Safety The concept of journalism safety transcends press freedom. It encompasses all forms of activities geared towards ensuring the protection of journalists from impunity through the media structure, media law, media ownership, access to media, digital inclusion, media literacy, gender, and journalism education (Carlsson, Pöyhtäri, 2017).  The safety of journalists must be guaranteed in line of duty for them to perform their functions optimally. For journalists to be regarded as operating in a safe environment, all the nine layers and types of safety challenges must be absent which are: physical, psycholog­ical, financial, legal, social and emotional, gen­der-specific, digital, topic-specific, and public risks (UNESCO, 2017). Jamil (2017) opines that physical risks connote the risk of being hurt or attacked in the line of duty. Psychological risks denote hassle and tension that may impede the chance of a journalist to carry out their duty freely and safely. Financial risks refer to the fear of job insecurity, pay-scale discrepancy and forced loss of job appointment. Legal risks comprise the availability of impunity for an attack on journalists; prejudicial trial against journalists; misapplication and misappropriation of laws against journalists and the availability of draconian media laws.  Social and emotional risks are the type of risks relating to apprehension, phobia, dejection, misdemeanor and lower self-esteem that occurs due to the country’s specific social milieu or a journalist’s immediate environment (i.e., workplace’s environment and socio-political environment). Gender-specific risks are those forms of risks that a journalist may come across as a result of their gender. This might be in the form of sexual assault, rape, harassment, discrimination and coercion. Digital risks are the online dangers that result from hacking, insult or aggressive e-mails or mobile messages and denigrating comments on social media. And finally, public risks connote all threats that occurred due to violent, unethical and condescending attitudes of local inhabitants towards journalists, such as verbal abuse and physical harm or attacks (Jamil, 2017). Need for Safety Education in Nigeria Globally, scholars have written extensively on the need for journalism safety and safety education. However, explicating the literature divulge a pattern of catchup in Africa and Nigeria to be specific (Pate, Oso, Jibril, 2017). In most African countries, the inclusion of safety education as part of the curriculum is mostly not available. Those institutions found to offer courses relating to safety mostly focused on conflict-sensitive reporting (Pate, Oso, Jibril, 2017). Meanwhile, safety education is central and fundamental to the safety of journalists on the field. Mardaras, Gonzalez, Penin (2017) argued that professional working conditions, journalists’ training and their professional experience, and safety training and equipment are the three cardinal principles of ensuring the safety of journalists covering dangerous beats.  In absence of training, journalists are bound to face dangers that might cost them their lives. Advanced countries with less risk have designed Programmes that cater to journalist safety education. In Spain for instance, the military provides trained journalists on safety and how to navigate dangerous terrain (Mardaras, Gonzalez, Penin, 2017). In the United States of America, a body called the Global Security Journalist provides training for journalists (Murthy, 2018). However, in Nigeria, despite the enormous risk journalists are exposed to, our higher institutions of learning are yet to mainstream safety training as part of their curriculum. Although some universities offer courses on conflict-sensitive reporting and peace journalism, most of them do not have courses specifically focusing on journalists’ safety as practiced globally.     Safety Education Curriculum We cannot over emphasis the importance of providing safety education to journalists in the face of dangers portend by the media working environment. Therefore, the Nigerian safety education curriculum should be modeled in such a way that will cover safety protocol, reporting manual, environmental awareness, exit plan, among others.  The curriculum should factor in the peculiarities of the modern safety threats journalists in Nigeria are experiencing. The curriculum should expose students to:  The element of risk, incident reporting guidelines and importance of the choice of refusal;  Hostile environment, First Aid, basic rules to follow and psychosocial support;  Assignment-specific safety advice and training; Insurance which includes regular correspondents against bodily harm, loss of life, property and equipment;  Legal protection and litigation support to fight impunity;  Resources, protective gear and finances required to cover dangerous or risky assignments;  Debriefing

Imperative for Journalism Safety Education in Nigeria Read More »

Industry Professional Edifies SUN Students on Secrets of Entrepreneurial Success

Students of Skyline University Nigeria, during the recently held 7th CEO Lecture Series, held on Wednesday, 12th December 2021, have been urged to maximize opportunities exposed to, and pay close attention to everything they learn because it will set them apart from their peers. The CEO Lecture Series was organized to inform Skyliners of new ideas and insights from CEOs and leaders across the world, to prepare them for the global workplace. While describing his career journey, Mr. Ibrahim Aminu, the Guest Speaker and Managing Director of Ashaka Cement stated that, while it is important to tell about his career successes, it’s his entrepreneurial secrets that can teach the most valuable lessons. According to him, students need to develop themselves in areas of soft skills, such as teamwork, focus, fairness, unbiased, responsibility, accountability and trust. As he puts it, “when you are given a task, fairness is key to achieving anything you want in the business world. Hence your ability to be unbiased and take important decisions”. He added that some level of trust will be given to students but what they choose to do with it, will ultimately affect the organizations of their hiring managers. He advised the students to make sure to understand team building and the strategies of organization’s success. Earlier in his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Skyline University Nigeria, Professor Ajith Kumar V.V welcomed the guest speaker and thanked him for sparing his valuable time to share his story which will be an inspiration to the students. According to him, the main inspiration is to get the students to hear from an expert in the industry, to learn from their valuable experiences. He enjoined the students to keep to heart, the important lessons shared by the speaker. The 7th CEO Guest Lecture was held online and attended by both management, staff and students of the university.

Industry Professional Edifies SUN Students on Secrets of Entrepreneurial Success Read More »

Skyline University Nigeria Ranked 16 in NUC’s Overall 2021 Nigerian University System Ranking & 8th Amongst Private Universities

Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), has continued to make its mark amongst the foremost Universities in Nigeria as the University, on Monday, December 13th, 2021, emerged as one of the higher-ranked universities in Nigeria on different fronts. According to the computations made by the National Universities Commission (NUC) 2021 Nigerian University System Ranking, Skyline University Nigeria emerged 16 out of 113 Federal, State and Private Universities and 8 out of the 47 Private Universities in Nigeria. The NUC’s 2021 Nigerian University System Ranking, was carried out using twelve indicators, based on the total number of full-time students, the number of international students, students and staff ratio, efficiency, google scholar index, and contribution to the knowledge economy. Other criteria are the percentage of international staff, percentage of Programmemes with full-time accreditation, all citations per capital, amongst others. The metrics for the rankings indicated an improvement in the University’s comparative performance in the twelve indicators, which includes teaching, research, citation, and international outlook. In the ranking by student-teacher ratio – private universities in the Northwest geopolitical zone, SUN ranked no. 1, by the percentage of full professors no. 17, by percentage of international staff no. 1, by percentage of per capita all citations no 34, ranking by google scholar presence no 43, amongst others. When benchmarked against some of the older Universities in Nigeria, Skyline University Nigeria has occupied a top spot in just a few years of her establishment, with some measure of progression in the performance of the University overall. Congratulations to Skyline University Nigeria!

Skyline University Nigeria Ranked 16 in NUC’s Overall 2021 Nigerian University System Ranking & 8th Amongst Private Universities Read More »

SUN Students Holds Cultural Exhibitions to Foster Open-Mindedness for other Cultures

100 level Students of Nigerian People and Culture, Skyline University Nigeria held cultural exhibitions to foster open-mindedness for other cultures while celebrating differences as well as common interests. The exhibitions gave students the opportunity to celebrate their cultural identities in diverse fashion. In the spirit of the occasion, students displayed talents and enthusiastic performance in a colorful style, including food and dance. The event includes students coming together to share cultural delicacies and performances from many of the ethnic groups in Northern Nigeria, particularly the major ethnic groups in the north, including the Kanuri, Nupe Fulani and Hausa, part of which make up the University’s community. The students turned up in large numbers to try the food from around the different cultural groups. Earlier, while making his remarks, Mr. Adetunji, a Lecturer II in the Department of General Studies and the anchor of the occasion, stated that the event was put together to celebrate, promote and preserve the Nigerian cultural heritage. According to him, Hours of practice were very evident in the polished performances of the students representing the diverse and distinct groups. The occasion was enjoyed by everyone and the images below indicated how many students had been involved with the various cultural groups.

SUN Students Holds Cultural Exhibitions to Foster Open-Mindedness for other Cultures Read More »

Career Building Tools for Graduate Success

It’s a common trait that when you hang out with people long enough, you tend to become like them. Therefore, if you continue to hang out with smart people, who make important decisions, it will ultimately affect your decisions and eventually, you’ll start acting smart too. On the university campus, it is important to interact with other students and staff to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. Here are three tips to guide you. Use Your Campus Routine to Build Connection One of the most valuable assets when it comes to building professional contact and connections is in the level of students’ engagement with professors and classmates. Professors, for example, may offer valuable industry insight and advice to students who may land a good job tomorrow. Such students who in turn may share professors with links of job openings for promising students who could take up the role. By engaging with your professors and students alike, it keeps your name in the back of their minds when these questions arise. Be Involved in Campus Activities People usually ignore the importance of getting involved with on-campus activities, particularly how it relates to making valuable contact. Getting involved in campus activities such as students clubs, signing up for a campus blog/newsletter, or even volunteering in library services is a sure way to make new friends and perhaps beef up your network. It also helps you to connect with other students, Guest speakers, mentors and advisers. Your Campus has a Students’ Centre, Take Advantage of it Universities students’ centres can become an interesting place to connect with fellow students. Typically you will find open internships opportunity, learn about upcoming volunteer jobs, get free career advice, get a tip on how to build an online presence/network etc. Company representatives usually have a relationship with the career center officer, in some cases, through the Corporate Affairs office or students services. You can get to know them, have conversations, share your career visions and receive free consulting about what is trending in the industry. Finally, it’s imperative to note that making connections with students and professors alike will need to be maintained. When you meet some people for the first time, it’s important to develop that connection. A simple email will indicate that you value the time spent talking with them. This will show that you value the conversations.

Career Building Tools for Graduate Success Read More »

Future Alternative Source of Transportation – Electric Car

Introduction Electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile propulsion in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, providing a level of comfort and ease of operation that could not be achieved by gasoline-driven cars. Manufacturers around the world are focusing mostly on electric bands as a result of new technologies and legislation. Electric Vehicles (EVs) have the potential to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in the transportation industry for both passenger luxury vehicles and commercial carriage. Electrification of the transportation industry can also result in better energy efficiency and lower pollution levels in the local area. There are legitimate concerns, however, about meeting future energy demand for charging electric vehicle batteries with clean and renewable sources. More critically, the supply risks of essential material resources utilized in electric vehicle batteries highlight the question of long-term sustainability of electric vehicles. EV’s Existing and New Brand – Everyone is working on electric vehicles, from well-established existing manufacturer brands such as Audi A6 e-Tron, BMW i4, Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, Bollinger B2, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Silverado Electric, Ford Explorer EV, Honda Prologue, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Lexus EV SUV, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Toyota bZ4X Concept, Volkswagen ID.8, Volvo C40 and new company’s brand such as Byton, Lordstown, Genesis Electrified G80, Subaru Solterra and Rivian. The battery only sources of power Hybrid vehicles – These vehicles combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor that recharges while the vehicle is in indication. Plug-in hybrids – These vehicles also have combustion engines and rechargeable batteries, but the batteries may be charged immediately when the vehicle is plugged in. Fuel-cell vehicles – These vehicles produce their own power using onboard hydrogen fuel. They do not need to be plugged into an outlet to recharge. How do electric cars work? – Let’s take a deep look at how electric cars function, as well as some of the most pressing problems that they raise. We will concentrate on all-electric vehicles rather than hybrids or plug-in hybrids. We’ll keep things easy for now and just go through the essentials. Electric cars have an electric motor that drives the vehicle’s wheels. These motors are powered by batteries that are normally found in cars and trunks. A second or substitute battery is frequently used to power the electrics, lights and other such items. Electric automobiles have rechargeable batteries that can be charged from the power grid. This necessitates the use of a wall-mounted charger or rapid charger stations. Electric cars, of course, require a mechanism to regulate the amount of electricity drawn from the batteries to power the motor. A control unit is utilized for this operation with joint functioning of advantage of the accelerator. How electric cars affect the environment – Battery Electric cars, unlike traditional cars that operate on petrol or LPG or diesel, typically run on energy stored in their batteries. Electric car lithium-ion batteries may be recharged by plugging them into an external electrical socket. Owners may charge their cars at home or a commercial charging station by installing a charging port. Most electric vehicles have a driving range of roughly 200 miles (322 kilometers) per charge, which is suitable for regular trips. Emissions – Electric cars emit fewer pollutions into the atmosphere than traditional vehicles which re operating with fuels such as petrol or diesel. However, some people believe that making an electric car battery produces more CO2 than creating a standard vehicle. Electric car makers have taken many initiatives to address this problem, including reducing the usage of ecologically destructive kinds of energy in facilities. Despite their disadvantages throughout the manufacturing process, electric cars emit considerably less hazardous pollutions during their lifetime than gas or fuel-powered vehicles. Automobile manufacturers in the car segment from Japan, China, the USA, Germany, France and India are contributing their excellence significant attempts to innovate best world standards electric cars.  Maintenance costs – The original cost of an electric-powered car tends to be higher than that of a petroleum or diesel vehicle. But the running and maintenance costs in electric-powered vehicles are comparatively very low than fossil gas or fuel-based vehicles. With traditional cars, engine maintenance costs a tremendous amount of cash on changing the engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid and belts. For electric-powered automobiles, such costs disappear due to the absence of inner combustion engines. The maximum substantial possible maintenance and depreciation expenses on change of spares take place whilst changing a battery pack. However, the manufacturer’s battery assurance covers the cost in maximum cases. In addition to this, the buyers of electric cars in the course of action, are entitled to tax credit or incentives.  By 2030, the largest automotive markets will go electric- EVs will need to account for 75% of worldwide passenger car sales, which is much faster than the industry’s present development. We anticipate that Europe, as a regulatory-driven market with favorable consumer demand trends, will electrify the fastest and will continue to lead the world in EV market share. Several nations have already pledged an end to ICE sales by 2030, in addition to the European Commission’s objective of about 60% EV sales by 2030. In accordance with this, seven OEM brands in the European Union have promised to sell 100% electric vehicles by 2030. In the most likely expedited scenario, consumer adoption will outpace regulatory expectations, with Europe’s EV market share reaching over 75% by 2030. Conclusion – Electric cars are more environmentally friendly than internal-combustion cars. Batteries are being designed to last for a long time with minimum assurance and warranty. Battery recycling will become economically feasible as electric cars become increasingly common. Other energy sources, such as fuel compartments and renewable fuels are being researched, making the future of electric automobiles appear brighter. With the exception of the battery, electric car technology is simple enough that old automobiles may be changed from combustion to electric. References https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/electric-vehicles-future-transport https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/why-the-automotive-future-is-electric https://www.kia.com/dm/discover-kia/ask/are-electric-cars-the-future.html   Dr.S.SENTHILKUMAR is currently working as Assistant Professor in Finance and Management, Skyline University, Nigeria. He has PhD from  Anna University, India. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

Future Alternative Source of Transportation – Electric Car Read More »

Skyline University Nigeria Signs MoU with Chandigarh University, India

To encourage closer academic ties, Skyline University Nigeria and Chandigarh University have entered into an agreement of cooperation to establish Programmes of exchange and collaboration in areas of interest and benefit to both institutions. This agreement was ratified in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will serve as a general framework for cooperation between the two universities and facilitate discussions of more specific Programmes of collaboration. According to the MoU, the two universities agree: To explore opportunities for students such as Short term/ Long term mobility such as summer schools, semester abroad, articulation and exchange; Progression for students into Master’s or Doctorate Programmes; To identify opportunities for exchange of faculty, research staff and administration staff; Joint Workshops, Conference and Co-publishing; Cultural Exchange; To identify other areas of possible interest and collaboration, amongst others. The MoU signing was held virtually and coordinated by the Corporate Affairs Department of the University. In correspondence with the Head of Corporate Affairs, Engr. Bashir Garba, “It is a central part of the MoU to benefit the many mutual stakeholders of Chandigarh University, India and Skyline University Nigeria”. Engr. Bashir stated. Skyline University Nigeria is the first international private tertiary institution in Kano, the largest and most industrialized state in northern Nigeria, anchored on a tripod – knowledge, skills and value-based education. SUN is indeed a multi-cultural environment where staff and students from different parts of the world come together for a common goal of making it a multi-disciplinary teaching and research institution.

Skyline University Nigeria Signs MoU with Chandigarh University, India Read More »

Skyline University Nigeria Holds PSDP Week For Students’ Sustainable Development

Skyline University Nigeria has organized a 5-day Professional Skills Development Programme (PSDP) for students of the University. The training Programmeme, was organized by the Students Service Department to present the next level of training for students, and keep them abreast of the latest trends of industry development, providing industry news and secrets, as well as promoting and appreciating soft skills. The week-long training featured important contributions from facilitators of diverse fields, including Dr. Ajayi Olumide Ibraham – the Head of General Studies Department, Dr. Sudha Mavuri – Dean of School of Arts & Management Studies, Ms. Sarada Maganti – Director of Academic Support Service and Mr. Adelokun Adetunji Oluwapelumi – Lecturer II. In their presentation, Dr. Olumide led training on Non-verbal Communication/Body Language, Dr. Sudha on Emotional Awareness and Ethical Mindfulness, Ms. Maganti on Etiquettes and Mr. Adelokun on Effective Communication. The presenters all made a meaningful contribution towards improving the students’ overall skills. Being a tradition in the University, the training is organized twice in a semester and mandatory for SUN students across all levels in order to boost their learning capacity, increase their access to information and enhance their sustainability.

Skyline University Nigeria Holds PSDP Week For Students’ Sustainable Development Read More »