Counseling in the Post Covid-19 Era 58

PRODUCING GREEN EXPERTS - EYES ARE FIXED ON THE GOAL - Tanko L. Nuradeen*

reen Engineering - Environmentally conscious attitudes, values, and principles, Gcombined with science, technology and innovation directed towards improving local and global environmental quality. It is the design of materials, processes, systems and devices with the objective of minimizing overall environmental impact over the entire life cycle whilst meeting required performance, economic and societal constraints. (CXC GE Syllabus)

Over the years, new models for green economy, green growth, and green job prospects, as well as their relationship to sustainable development and poverty eradication, have received a lot of attention. The importance of education in assisting humanity to adopt more sustainable initiatives has come to fore. Today, sustainability issues are being integrated into teaching, research, and institutional operations in many universities. Organizations, are also increasingly incorporating sustainable practices into their core business. It is therefore the right time to open conversations on how the relationship in university education and the private sector may be better managed so that requirements and investments can be met more efficiently and effectively.

The challenges in the Nigerianand rising unemployment numbers, make the need forexperts, imperative. Green experts are often associated with energy-related fields or the built environment (areas where most analysis on green jobs are carried out). However, in starting our conversations, it is important that people who have environmental knowledge and abilities that enable them to recognize opportunities for the creation of green products and services - those who promote environmentally friendly behaviors, social inclusion, and community development - should be included in a larger scope. These qualities are instilled in the students of the Faculty of Engineering of Baze University.

Some of the international best practices that help produce green experts include; Bridging the gap between the Academia and Industry; Education for poverty alleviation and entrepreneurship; Knowledge on “green policies” for a greener economy and green jobs; and collaboration and long-term planning. Other aspects include; waste reduction and social responsibility.

The Faculty of Engineering at Baze University, has ensured that key green practices are embedded in all its six programmes: Petroleum and Gas Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

Bridging the gap between Academia and Industry

At 200 level work, the faculty assigns to Engineering students interdisciplinary engineering project with the purpose of identifying and contextualizing major priorities in global and local commitments for sustainable growth. The activities are carried out in close collaboration with the Technologists in the faculty, who are certified professionals with years of industry experience. Students are allowed to offer an in-depth examination of the competencies and abilities required to address complex sustainability issues that exist in the real world. An example of two of these projects manifested earlier this year, when students worked on the production of biogas which can be used as a substitute for LPG and the design of low power inverter. .