By Peregba Ayaperebode Diana; Favour Azibator; Tasibo Tamaraebi peace; Paul Victor Jousha; Beauty Clifford; Ogodo Faith

 

In this interview conducted by students of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at Hensard University, His Excellency, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, founder and chancellor of the prestigious Hensard University revealed his intention towards the school and its environs, from the lens of strategic partnerships that are key to the vision, mission, objectives and principles of the university. This includes strategic partnerships with the host community, media, the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, as well as other faculties and centres in the institution. 

 

The interview is Hensard's communication students first bold step as they begin their interview series tagged "Bold Steps with Hensard"—a programme of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies in which student media personnel engage different personalities in the Niger Delta in series of interview sessions to discuss bold and innovative steps that the personalities and members of their constituencies are taking at the grassroots, subnational, national and international levels to champion enlightenment and development at all levels. 

 

There was no better personality to begin this series with than the esteemed chancellor, His Excellency, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson. The interview was conducted following His Excellency's visit to Hensard University in Toru Orua to speak with the students and staff, and inspect ongoing projects in the university, from 4th to 6th November 2024.

 

Coupled with the inspection of all project sites, including new faculty buildings such as that of the School of Nursing, in the university, the senator also visited the university cafeteria where he sought to find out students’ rating of their services in terms of cost per meal and quality. 

 

After the tedious inspection exercise of day 1 of his visit, Senator Dickson was gracious enough to create time for his students whom he granted what could be termed an interview, on day 3. 

 

The interview shows some of his bold intentions for Hensard University as a whole and the students particularly, as he considers them to be partners in the trajectory of great achievements that Hensard University has begun. 

 

1.    How do you see the role of mass communication in Hensard University and its environs evolving, and what advice would you give students in the field? 

 

We have the Faculty of Mass Communication (Communication and Media Studies) which is also known as the School of Media Studies because we want to train people who are very aware, knowledgeable and experienced in their environments. And as the popular saying goes, charity begins at home. So, we begin from this local environment, then to the state, the entire Niger Delta, Nigeria, then West Africa, Africa and the world. I want people who are aware of the past, because if you don't know the past, you may not properly situate the present and you may have difficulty in navigating the future. I would like the students in the mass communication field to have quality knowledge generally and specifically in that field of media studies. 

 

I want the students to keep abreast of current trends and techniques and be efficient in the use of technology which is evolving fast. 

 

The kind of media practice that we saw and knew when we were growing up is no longer the same as what we have now. We now have new media which offers different tools of communication. I expect the students of the faculty to be very efficient in the use of modern technology to achieve effective communication by the time they conclude their training which will involve a lot of practical sessions. And this again speaks to why Hensard University is different. Students here will be exposed to all facets of communication including content production, broadcasting, editing and so on. 

 

2.    What partnerships or collaborations do you think the school should establish with the host community and other strategic stakeholders? 

 

The host community is there for you. A university is a place of learning but also a place to give back to the community. We expect you all to be involved in community work—community service?in different forms. As time goes on, you will begin to experience all these things. You would be involved in writing about things happening in the community or your community service. In other words, you would be reading and writing stories about things in this environment in addition to other communication work that you will be involved in.

 

Communication in terms of public health education and awareness and even literacy is some of the work that the faculty and school will guide you to accomplish. You should be experts of community world. There will be a lot of collaborations and opportunities. You will be working with various media outlets owned by the university and there are also others that you will explore. That is, you will also be working with other communication outlets that are not owned by the university but that are going to be part of our partners. Hensard is full of partnerships, both local and foreign. 

 

3.    What are your immediate next steps and how can we support you in actualizing the immediate objectives? 

 

The immediate objective is to have facilities and more facilities. The immediate objectives are to have standard and higher standards. And that talks about the quality not just of the teaching staff but also of the students. And respectively, your role is to be ambassadors of Hensard University and to live up to this high standard and ideal which the university has been founded upon. I've also enjoined the academic staff to give you all the knowledge you require because you need to have a lot of knowledge to be able to work. To excel, you must read a lot of literature, history, philosophy and economics. These will prepare you for all you need to achieve. So, to talk of roles, we must talk of standard. We expect all our students to strive to attain what we've mandated the university's teaching staff to guide you into achieving. 

 

Apart from the providers of theoretical knowledge, the university has mentors who will be here to talk to you, to mentor you and inspire you. We have newspaper outlet which will help you to practice and build article writing skills, editing skills. You have TV to groom your broadcasting skills. You have the radio station to work with. And I am sure that by the end of next year, you'll have your radio station here in Yenagoa where you can broadcast. This is something that not many universities have. We hope that with this investment, you will have all the tools it takes to be great professionals.

 

4.    What message and advice do you have for the students and management? 

 

My message and advice for the students is that you should strive to work hard, be disciplined and challenge yourselves to be better versions of yourselves. "In the next three or four years, I expect you to be wonderful and accomplished professionals, going as champions not just to follow but with capacity to lead."

 

For the staff, they already know the very high standard that is expected of them. "I expect them to inculcate into the students, all the twelve pillars of the university, which if we follow through, people will know our students as excellent products of this university who will go out there (to the world) as wonderful ambassadors of Hensard university."