The Certified Institute of Shipping Nigeria (CISN) on Friday graduates a total of 554 students and matriculated a total of 451 students in its 17th Matriculation and Convocation ceremony held at the institute’s main campus in Magbon, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway in Lagos Friday.
A breakdown of the graduating students showed that a total of 58 students had their Post Graduate Diploma (PGD), 183 had their Higher National Diploma (HND) while a total of 313 had their National Diploma (ND)/Shippers Technician Diploma (STS) whereas the breakdown of the matriculating students showed that 69 students were admitted to study Marine Engineering and Technology, 307 in Shipping Management and Technology, 54 in Security Management and Technology while 21 students were admitted into Maritime Administration with specialization in Logistics, Shipping/Port Management, Maritime Law, Security, Health, Safety and Environment.
In her address, the President and Visitor to the institute, Princess Dr. Vicky Haastrup observed that as a specialized institute, the Management of the CISN were committed to the training of skilled and innovative workforce that would transform Nigeria’s natural resources into goods and services adding that the institute was being driven by entrepreneurship, information and communication technology to positively affect the economy as well as enhance quality of life even as she pointed out that that was what their was and to which they would always live up to.
While noting that the tradition of academic probity was the heartbeat of the institute, Princess Haastrup maintained that over the years, the institute had built a reputation of high academic standards saying that the biggest sin one would commit in the institute was to cheat during examinations or tests even as she said that once caught cheating, the culprit would be expelled.
“I pray that you do not bring shame to your family. It is better to fail honourably and repeat a course rather than attempt to pass fraudulently and be disgraced out of the institute. In your interest, I beg you, don’t cheat for any reason. To the graduands of today, I pray that you will give your parents, guardians and well-wishers the fullness of joy that your triumphant exit from the institute will exude at the end of your sojourn here.
“As you convocate from your academic pursuits, you are going into the corporate world full of challenges. These challenges are interdependent and interwoven. They range from unemployment, insecurity, instability, educational problem and so on and so forth. They seek to address a varying degree of issues which requires collaborative actions from government and individuals like you. You must therefore be part of the agents of change to solve some of these problems. As graduates, you must look inwards to tackle unemployment by putting on you thinking caps of entrepreneurship so as to be self-reliant.
“To the matriculating students, the Certified Institute of shipping has put in place measures to facilitate good teaching and learning atmosphere, dedicated faculty members, staff advisers, counsellors and staff who are eager to offer you the help you may need”, stated.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Rector of the CISN, Prof. Alex Favour Okwuashi charged both the connvocating and matriculating students to be worthy ambassadors of the institute advising them to avoid acts capable of tarnishing the image of CISN as well as themselves.
While warning the students that there was no room for cultism in the institute, he however advised them against indulging in cultism stressing that anyone caught engaging in any unauthorized activity would be expelled.
Prof. Okwuashi disclosed that a sister institution, the Coastal Polytechnic would soon take off as all hands were on deck to make it a reality.
According to him,” The institute will vigorously pursue full accreditation of all the existing programmes and seek approval for additional courses viz; Computer Engineering Technology in software and hardware respectively. To this effect, the CISN Engineering centre proposed to be named after the 4th President of the institute, Princess Dr. Vicky Haastrup will soon take off with the construction after harmonizing the physical planning and architectural designs/drawings. The complex will be built in two hectares of land within the CISN with world class facilities to support research and development. We therefore call on all friends of the institute and friends of the President to lift up the hands of Moses by donating cash and materials to support the project”.
Highlights of the ceremony were the taking of matriculation oath/charge to the graduands, admission to Post Graduate Diploma, Higher Diploma and National Diploma as well as the presentation of N50, 000 cash prizes to the best graduating students of the institute of which out of the 5 people shortlisted for these prizes, only one of them was present, although late, prompting Princess Haastrup to direct that the cash prizes be given to the second best graduating students to serve as deterrent to others.
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