Three academic staff at Department of Biochemistry in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, have been awarded scholarship by Chinese Government for PhD programme at Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China.

A statement from the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, dated
Saturday August 20, 2022, said the beneficiaries are, Idris Zubairu Sadiq, Muhammad Auwal Saliu and Rabiatu Bako Suleiman.

They are among the 20 candidates that made the 2022 awardee list of Chinese Government Scholarship Silk Road Programme for International Students drawn from seven countries – Nigeria, Kenya, Yemen, Indonesia, Pakistan, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

In a letter recently, Mrs. Rui Wang, Secretary, Centre for Protein and Cell-Based Drugs, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), informed Ahmadu Bello University of the release of final PhD admission list and the scholarship award to the three academic staff.

Mrs. Wang, who described the admission process as “lengthy and rigorous”, explained that only three candidates were admitted out of the SIAT’s recommended seven students from ABU for the programme and award of scholarship.

“This year’s admissions competition was tough, and we wish to express our gratitude to all of the applicants for giving it their all”, she said.

The Secretary thanked the Vice-Chancellor and entire Management of Ahmadu Bello University for taking the first step in the collaboration between ABU and Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, saying that they would look forward to expanding on the relationship.

It would be recalled that a zoom meeting between Ahmadu Bello University and Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences took place in December last year, a development that eventually resulted in securing the PhD admission and scholarship award for the three academic staff.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, led the ABU team at the zoom meeting that included Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Ahmed Doko Ibrahim; Head, Department of Computer Engineering, Prof. M.B. Mu’azu; and Head, Department of Microbiology, Prof. Maryam Aminu.

The Vice-Chancellor, at the meeting, expressed gratitude to SIAT-CAS for the presentation on the “2022 SIAT International Student and Postdoc Program” and for inviting ABU Management to take advantage of the advertised open positions.