by crossriverwatch admin
All is now set for the signing of a five year Memorandum of Understanding between the Cross River state government and the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, USA.
Special Adviser to governor Imoke on Intergovernmental Relations and Liaison, Abuja Barr Joe Edet made the disclosure to newsmen recently in Abuja saying that the MOU would provide the much needed technical support to drive key sectors which are critical to accelerate development of the state particularly in Agriculture and Biotechnology, Science and Technology, as well as Engineering and ICT.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University USA is one of the nation’s leading producers of African-American Engineers with Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees.
NASA is one of the major partners of its School of Engineering. It is also the nation’s top producer of word class experts in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology.
Dr. Barry L. Burks, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, North Carolina A&T State University approved the MoU between NCA &T and Cross River government.
According to Barr Edet, the MoU has 14 top benefits to Cross River which include training of extension workers in the area of sustainable agriculture and environmental protection; exchange program between staff of the Ministry and the university to learn best international practices in Agriculture; working with the N.C. A&T’s Centre for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies (CEPHT) to create crops with extended shelf life; access to funding for research in crops that are indigenous to Africa as well as sharing of useful agricultural research with the university in the area of biotechnology and the environment.
Other benefits to Cross River are participation in Student exchange programs (undergraduate/Graduate Research Programs) with the NCA and T; Participation in mutually beneficial lecturer teaching exchange programs between the NCA and T university and Cross River University of Technology; Working with the N.C. AT’s Centre for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies (CEPHT) to help CRUTECH develop new, value-added products from indigenous crops; and strategic collaboration with the Faculty Of Agriculture of the Cross River University Of Technology to develop programs to empower research, innovation and discovery at CRUTECH.
More so, exchange programs between the College of Engineering and School of Technology at N.C. A&T and CRUTECH’s Faculty of Engineering & Technology will be established while the training of Cross River State Scientists in Research & Development (R&D) management would be vigorously pursued.
The SA further said that the MoU would afford the state the opportunities of leveraging on the technology in the Tinapa Knowledge City to develop an effective ICT driven economy in the state, adding that there would be regular inter face between NC A and T Scientists and its Cross River counterpart for collaboration in the area of scientific researches and development.
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