AAUN's campus features several new buildings, including the School of Arts and Sciences, dormitories, and a dining hall.
Overseas Connections
ABTI-American University of Nigeria (AAUN) Will Move to New Campus this Fall
IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS, what was once barren land in Yola, Nigeria has been transformed to a modern, state-of-the-art campus—a permanent one for AAUN. The first American-style university in Nigeria, AAUN is the vision of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, the country’s vice president.
On January 1, 2004, AU signed a five-year management consultancy agreement with AAUN to help establish the new institution. As part of the agreement, AU has recruited the president, vice presidents, deans, staff, and faculty. AU teams have helped develop the curriculum and provided advice on the physical facilities. Dr. Patrick Ukata, the director of the AAUN Liaison Office, has coordinated the entire effort with Dr. Robert Pastor, AU’s vice president of international affairs, who also sits on AAUN’s Board of Trustees.
Most of the first-phase construction will be completed by September 4, when classes begin. New structures on campus include a multi-purpose building, which will house lecture halls; the School of Arts and Sciences; two dormitories; and a dining hall and student union. Faculty residences as well as a club house and Olympic-size pool have been built near the campus. “When the green roof went on the multi-purpose building and the red cupola on the cafeteria, everything suddenly became real,” explained Dr. Elspeth Smith, AAUN’s vice president of external relations. “It takes your breath away to see the new facilities against a backdrop of mountains and rolling hills.”
Dr. Robert Pastor (far left), AU’s vice president of international affairs, donates books by AU faculty—Dr. Joseph Campbell of the School of Communication and Dr. James Mittleman of the School of International Service—to AAUN’s library in April 2006. Pictured with (l–r) Benson Ali, head of circulation at AAUN’s library, and Dr. Elspeth Smith, AAUN’s vice president of external relations
AAUN officially opened its door in September 2005, though at a temporary campus across the street from the university. Enrollment totaled approximately 175 last year and many more students are expected to enroll this fall. AAUN held a series of well-attended open houses around the country last spring. As Dr. Smith noted, “The events were enormously successful…The Story of AAUN, our new 12-minute video, has sparked widespread interest, and people stay to watch it two and three times.”
Along with the new facilities, AAUN faculty and staff look forward to welcoming Dr. Kinuthia Macharia from AU’s Sociology Department. He will be a visiting professor for the 2006–07 academic year.
previous