The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State, says 42 of its 5,249 graduates in the 2020/2021 academic set will be given automatic jobs in the institution as graduate assistants.

The AAUA Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, stated this at a conference heralding the university’s 12th convocation in Akungba Akoko on Monday, December 4, 2023.

Ige said the first class category students would be offered the job immediately after they were done with their National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) programme.

He said numerous academic prizes would be awarded to outstanding graduates who had excelled in their various fields.

The AAUA VC said: “A total of 5,249 graduands from the 2020/2021 set will be honoured this year.

“The Faculty of Education leads with 1,202 graduands, followed by Science, Arts, Social Sciences, Administration and Management Sciences, Agriculture, Law, the Institute of Part-Time, and the Institute of Education.

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“180 graduands are receiving postgraduate degrees, with 24 in the PhD category.

“Of the graduating class, 42 achieved First Class; 1,088 in Second Class Upper Division; 2,264 in Second Class Lower Division, and 605 in Third Class.

“We are giving the 42 graduands with first class automatic jobs as graduate assistants when they are through with their NYSC service.”

Ige stated that the 42 graduates in first class could hold their heads anywhere in the world, adding that they really worked for it.

The AAUA Vice-Chancellor said despite the prevailing economic challenges in the country, the 12th convocation would be a testament to the institution’s commitment to benchmarks to be the best and most competitive institution globally.

He added that over 10,000 students applied to study in various academic fields in the 2023/2024 academic year with just 6,300 slots given by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Ige said AAUA remained committed to enhancing the integrity and quality of its academic programmes through continuous staff training, re-invention of programmes, and the establishment of a broad research agenda, stating that all the university’s academic programmes were currently accredited by the NUC.

The Star