Top Faith University is ambitiously ready to run what it termed a 3D Philosophy: Discovery, Development and Deployment to fully entrench university education among its graduates in a globally competitive society.
The beautifully-planned university sited in Mkpatak, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State is one of the 20 privately owned Nigerian universities recently approved by the Federal Executive Council.
Top Faith boasting of tastefully designed and constructed buildings occupies 138 hectares with asphalted intra-routes.
Emmanuel Thomas Abraham, the university’s founder, in an exclusive interview with Straightnews in the ambient school premises, said ”As a matter of fact, we will run a very serious byline identified as a 3D Philosophy. This means Discovery, Development and Deployment.
”In other words, founded on the Motto of the University which says: ‘Wisdom, the Greatest,’ it has set for itself the wonderful pathway that would make our tasks, jointly and severally, to discover talents in everybody, provide the enabling environment for those talents to be developed and provide the inspiration for the developed talents to be properly deployed.
”That is why we will sharpen the entrepreneurial philosophy of our students. Our entrepreneurial thinking will not be about craftsmanship. We find certain institutions and places where people talk about entrepreneurship as if it is craftsmanship, where they prepare suits, shoes, bags, sew fabrics, among others. Entrepreneurship is a philosophy. It can be discovered; it can be developed; it can be deployed.’’
Dr. Abraham who sits as the Chairman of Top Faith Group of Schools explained ”In simple terms, we’re going to point the light on the path for our students to follow. In other words, we will create an enabling environment for our students to have the instinct and the consciousness to see, recognize and take advantage of business opportunities and add value to that gap, create product or services and make money out of it.
”So, our multidimensional aspects of entrepreneurship will cut across the whole gamut of the university system, no matter which programme a student does. An Accounting student will see himself or herself as a potential entrepreneur who can walk into this place, look round and see any available business opportunities.’’
According to him, ”Capacity to smell business opportunities can be taught. That is exactly what we shall devout our time to achieve, in addition to the core academic content of our programmes.
”We will sharpen their mentality so that wherever they go, all that they look out for would be to take an existing business opportunity for their work. This is what I mean when I say its a 3D Philosophy.
”Our staffers would be part of this philosophy and our students would be the greatest beneficiaries. To answer your question straightway, our educational system in Top Faith University is extremely going to be philosophical and remarkably achievement oriented.
On his readiness to collaborate with government agencies or corporate bodies, the retired manager of ICON Merchant Bank, said ”Education is a multidimensional concept. The word collaboration, to say the least, is an understatement. We are going to work with everybody.
”We will emphasise the issue of Town and Gown. Gown is the University and Gown is the general human society. There must be synergy between Town and Gown. Without synergy between the two, no educational domain will achieve its aims. Yes, we’re going to be quite involved in all sectors of the world economy, not just collaboration.
”We shall relate, interface and network with entities, business communities, research world, government and nongovernmental organizations, personalities and people, events and places. These are all research oriented facets which the University should explore.
”We will dedicate ourselves to serious and robust research avenues to be able to come up with certain things that will integrate Town and Gown, so that the Gown can benefit from the Town and vice versa. When this synergy is established, you can imagine the ultimate.”
To favourably compete with other top universities in the world, the banker-turned educationist expatiated on the nature of research the university would periodically be undertaking.
He remarked ”I just mentioned the Town-Gown synergy. Research does not happen in a vacuum. We have to start from what is readily available. Let me ask you this, why is it difficult to have a succession plan in our local businesses? Is that not a proper research concern?
”Can’t we propound a useful theoretical framework to address the minds of our locals to consciously create a dynamism that will establish succession plan? If I’m consciously running Top Faith while I’m alive, the school should not die when I naturally cease to exist on this plain. The general feeling of people around here is that individuals will always die with their business ideas.
”People die with their businesses. Why can’t we work hard to establish a principle and correlate it with facts, coming up with a proposal that can be taught as a principle or field to groom young people in a succession planning philosophy.
”Why are we still having wild palm trees all over the place? Why do we still have the so called land tenure system, or land fragmentation? You cannot think of fragmenting your car for your children.
”Why are we not addressing the spirit of partnership? Is it a natural process? Is it sociological? Is it due to greed? Is it due to avarice? What is it? These are the things we take for granted which can be tackled by research. Let’s think about the scientific way. Why does a bonesetter find it difficult to teach the skills to his children or other persons? Is the talent not learnable? Is it hereditary? If it is, how do you sustain the ‘hereditariness’ of it in the family?” he emphasised.
