Don tasks matriculating students on reading culture
ABUJA (Sundiata Scholar) – The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the African School of Economics (ASE), Prof. Michael Maduagwu, has urged students to cultivate a reading culture in order to broaden their knowledge and become global citizens.
Maduagwu made the call on Wednesday during the institution’s first matriculation ceremony in Abuja.
He noted that developing strong reading habits would enable students to compete effectively with their peers across the world.
The academic, who also served as the guest lecturer at the event, delivered a lecture titled “Education: The Pathway to Success in Life”.
He described ASE as a training ground for future global citizens and encouraged the matriculating students to uphold discipline and ethical values, both in character and in learning.
“Education prepares you for life and for success in all your endeavours. Knowledge is abundant, and education provides the means to access it,” he said.
He noted that while the internet is a useful tool for accessing resources such as Google, it cannot replace published works, whether found online or in physical libraries.
“What we are saying is that the internet brings books to your fingertips, reducing the need to visit physical libraries.
“However, the university is here to train you to read widely, beyond the confines of your course of study. Do not wait for your lecturers, read ahead of them,” he advised.
Also speaking at the event, ASE Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, encouraged students to develop resilience and maintain a spirit of curiosity.
Delivering a talk titled “Three Principles, Six Stories”, Adedimeji urged the students to be confident and adopt an ‘I-can-do-it’ mindset, stating that their attitudes would ultimately determine how far they progress in their careers.
“It takes a great deal of dedication and commitment to succeed, it is essential to have a dream, to possess drive and determination, and to maintain dedication.
“At the same time, discipline is crucial, and distractions should be avoided as much as possible”.
He expressed optimism about the institution’s future, adding, “In the next five years, ASE will be competing with leading institutions in Nigeria’s university landscape”.
reports that a total of 44 students were matriculated at the ceremony.
Of this number, 23 are from the Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences; 11 from the Faculty of Science and Computing; and 10 from the Faculty of Agriculture, Environmental and Allied Health Sciences. (NAN)
