Some girls who were lucky enough to have escaped from the claws of Boko Haram have marked a new milestone in their lives.
Photo credit: Premium Times
Up to about Chibok girls out of the 24 who escaped from Boko Haram in 2014 have matriculated into The American University of Nigeria (AUN).
According to Vanguard, they were among the new students who matriculated into the school on August 29.
Since their lucky escape, all the 24 have been on AUN’s scholarship studying under a special preparatory program.
Also among the new students were those accepted for the maiden class of AUN’s new School of Law that kicked off this semester.
The AUN Law program concentrates on Humanitarian, Gender and Environmental Laws. Others who took part in the ceremony were those pursuing various postgraduate programs, among them were 18 winners of the 67 competitive AUN scholarships on offer, while several intakes were transferring from other universities in Ghana, Lebanon, Egypt, the US and some EU countries.
AUN admitted the largest number of undergraduates in a semester in the past three years, signaling a return to pre-insurgency admission figures. In her address, AUN President, Dr. Margee Ensign announced that the type of education the new students will receive will ensure that they become leaders in their chosen fields.
“This kind of education will train you to look at problems from varying perspectives. All universities identify new problems, come up with new ideas, discover new truths and some change society. At AUN, Africa’s first Development University, this is what we are trying to accomplish,” she said.
She noted that upon graduation, the students would be well equipped and ready to confront the challenges in their community, country and continent.
Whether it is poverty, illiteracy, inequality, injustice or violence, “AUN students deal with such problems during their time at the university, asking questions about them, and finding solutions that improve the lives of their fellow human beings,” Ensign said.