By Chuks Eke
Authorities of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU Igbariam, Anambra State have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with Bredhub-UBTECH to cement their partnership agreement for the provision of additional courses to the students of the institution on Artificial intelligence, AI and Robotic Education.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday by the Acting Vice-Chancellor of COIU, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha on behalf of the institution, while Mr. Michael Ahamefule, Chairman/CEO, Bredhub-UBTECH signed on behalf of his firm.
According to the partners, the essence of signing the the MoU was to equip students and other members of the institution with the konwledge of producing and programming of robotics which would be used to teach and learn artificial intelligence.
Speaking shortly after signing the agreement, Omenugha noted that the students and the community environment have a lot to gain from the exercise, as according to her, it is one of the things the school can do to equip the society and the young ones for the disruptive change being championed currently at the globall levell.
The vice-chancellor said, “I feel very excited about this partnership because this is the kind of disruptive change we want to create in this university. When we came into this institution, we wanted to add education and social spice to what we are doing and I am highly fulfilled that this exercise will drive the process.
“The school has to key into this innovation because there are many things to learn. We want, not just the students, but the entire school community and the outside environment, including children out there to key into this. It is one of the things we can do to help change the society and the young people.
“We need to keep the young people busy by changing their psyche so that they become more productive and responsible to the community. We are going to use both the internal and external publics of the institution to drive this exercise because it is something we are going to find both rewarding and fulfilling.
“While we do this is because we draw inspiration from the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who places high premium on education and equipping the young ones in disruptive innovations.”
In his own speech, Ahamefule, described the partnership as a great opportunity for both the institution and the firm as it has opened the window for innovations to commence.
Ahamefule said, “Training the students of the institutions on AI and robotics will have a significant impact on their future careers and the wider society. It will prepare them for the future job market. AI and robotics are increasingly being adopted across industries, and training students in these areas can prepare them for the changing job market.
The world has moved away from analogue and we are in the fourth revolution. It is a way of equipping them with innovations to enable them identify problem and proffer solutions using technology. This opportunity will give our students the leap they need to join the revolutionary world.
“By training students in higher institutions on AI and robotics, we can empower them to shape the future and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
“The signing of the MOU is the formal agreement and partnership to collaborate and work together with the institution towards equipping the students and the university community on AI and robotics.”
Highlight of the even included the relocation of both parties from the Vice Chancellor’s office to the Faculty of Social Sciences where they inspected some students learning how to assemble and programme different types of roboticss.
One of the students from the department of political science, Ifeoma Okeke, said, “It is a memorable experience. I learnt how to use the tools to identify and solve problems and I believe this will help the students greatly in accessing the technological innovations they need in proffering solutions in our various fields.”
