Chukwu Vows to Reposition AE-FUNAI’s Mass Comm Dept

Dr. Joeseph Chukwu, the newly appointed Head of Department (HOD) of Mass Communication at Alex Ekwueme Federal University (AE-FUNAI), has pledged to reposition the department for excellence.

In an interview with ASIWAJU MEDIA, Dr. Chukwu expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor, Professor S. O. Elom, and his management team for the confidence reposed in him.

“I must express my appreciation and gratitude, first, to God and then to the Vice Chancellor, Professor S. O. Elom and his management team for the confidence reposed in me”

He acknowledged that the task ahead is a team effort, saying, “The job is a teamwork. I will work with my other colleagues to ensure that our department, which is the light of the university, is repositioned to perform better.”

Dr. Chukwu outlined his plans, including the introduction of a postgraduate program, resource verification, and the establishment of a strong alumni network.

“We shall be starting a postgraduate programme to enable our former students and others to come back to cap their degrees; there will be resource verification by September; we shall be tapping from the ex-students by inaugurating strong alumni because we cannot do without our products”.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration with industry experts and international partners, stating, “We shall be collaborating with those in the industry to share with our students what the field is like… We have applied to CODESRIA and if our application sails through, the project will start in January 2025.”

On student development, Dr. Chukwu promised to strengthen ties with professional organizations, ensuring students become full members upon graduation.

He noted, “The media is a powerful instrument of societal change. We shall be liaising and collaborating with departments and faculties in the university to report and publicize their research and breakthroughs for the world to hear and know what we are doing as a citadel of learning and research.”

ABOUT DR. JOSEPH CHUKWU

Joseph N. Chukwu is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Nigeria.

He has over two decades of industry experience as information/public relations officer before joining the academia.

He was the pioneer public relations officer of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Nigeria as well as one of the pioneer staff of the Department of Mass Communication of the same university.