Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, the Vice-Chancellor (V.C), University of Ilorin (Unilorin), has commended the University of Ghana, Legon Boundary in Accra, for partnering Unilorin in its UG-Pan African Doctoral Academy (UG-PADA) programme.

Ambali gave the commendation on Monday in Ilorin when he received a two-man delegation from the university led by Prof. Kweku Osam.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that UG-PADA focuses its programmes on doctoral candidates at the University of Ghana, other universities in Ghana and in other West-African countries.

It is established to address specific skill gaps and provides opportunities for improving the knowledge of doctoral candidates.

It is also geared toward equipping scholars with methodological skills; scholarship, counseling, mentoring and career development guidance.

The programme is also to avail Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) scholars' supervisory skills and introduce them to methods of teaching and learning that will enhance their capability to train other future academics.

The V-C said that there had been a long-standing relationship between the two universities which the visit would by the team would further cement.

Ambali said, "It is a welcome development to have our students interacts with students from across the world." He told the team that the university had "a robust postgraduate programme".

Earlier, the leader of the team, Prof. Kweku Osam, said that it was in Unilorin to encourage doctoral students from there to apply for the UG-PADA programme. According to him, the accelerated PhD training is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

He said that the courses were opened to PhD candidates from the University of Ghana (UG) as well as other Ghanaian and African Universities. The team also includes: Mrs Christy Badu, Senior Assistant Registrar, University of Ghana who doubles as the coordinator of the programme.