RESEARCH INSTITUTES

 I.       RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

The Research and Development activities at the Akwa Ibom State University are anchored on the following technological disciplines:

  1. Electronics/Information Technology

  2. Biotechnology/Genetic Engineering

  3. Environment (including Erosion and Flood Control)

  4. Plant and Machinery Development

  5. Shipbuilding and Naval Architecture

  6. Oceanography and Marine Research

  7. Oil/Petrochemical Technology

  8. Agriculture

  9. Space Science and Technology

  10. Curriculum Development

These technological disciplines essentially determine the research topics that are envisaged for the Research Institutes located in the Schools/Graduate Schools of the University. The variety and scope of the envisaged research and development activities are reflected in the wide range of options available within the academic units of the University. Over 100 Research and Development areas, which are not exclusive and which are in line with the developmental needs of the State are identified as follows:

 

1.   SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

  1. Mobile Communications;

  2. Communication Networks;

  3. Autonomous Orbit Determination and Control;

  4. Orbital Modeling;

  5. Autonomous Inspection of Satellites;

  6. Satellite Construction and Deployment;

  7. Microelectronic Operating in Earth-orbiting Satellite;

  8. Microelectronics Research;

  9. Algorithm for On-Board Processing;

  10. Pattern Recognition;

  11. 3D Vision;

  12. Remote Sensing and Applications;

  13. Artificial Intelligence;

  14. Foundations of Computing;

  15. Parallel Systems; and

  16. Information Systems

2.       SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL, MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

  1. Construction Materials;

  2. Solid Mechanics and Design;

  3. Composite Materials;

  4. Physical Metallurgy;

  5. Industrial and Environmental Fluid Mechanics;

  6. Mechatronics and Robotics;

  7. Adaptive Machine Systems;

  8. Mechanical Engineering Systems;

  9. Computer-Controlled Mechanical Systems;

  10. Materials Science and Processing;

  11. Manufacturing Science;

  12. Production Systems;

  13. Planning and Optimization of industrial systems; and

  14. Machining tools and process.

3.       SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL/PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING & OIL TECHNOLOGY

  1. Chemical Science and Engineering;

  2. Chemical Technology;

  3. Fibre and Polymer Science;

  4. Industrial Chemistry;

  5. Separation and Purification;

  6. Petroleum Engineering;

  7. Geology;

  8. Mining Engineering;

  9. Reservoir Engineering;

  10. Enhanced Oil Recovery;

  11. Reservoir Rock Properties;

  12. Reservoir Fluid Properties;

  13. Thermodynamics and Energy Systems;

  14. Electrochemical Conversion; and

  15. Process Design and Control.

4.       SCHOOL OF CIVIL, ARCHITECTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

  1. Soil Mechanics;

  2. Traffic Engineering;

  3. Fluid Mechanics and Applications;

  4. Photo-elasticity;

  5. Industrial Architecture;

  6. Contemporary Nigerian Architecture;

  7. Documentation and appraisal of traditional and historical architecture of Nigeria and in particular, Akwa Ibom State;

  8. High-density High-rise Buildings;

  9. Environmental Engineering;

  10. Process and Environmental System Engineering;

  11. Surveying and Photogrammetry;

  12.  Geodetic Engineering;

  13. Estate Management;

  14. Architectural Design;

  15. Architectural and Urban/Regional Planning Study;

  16. Architectural and Urban/Regional Environmental Engineering;

  17. Architectural and Urban Ergonomics;

  18. Human Environment and Space Design;

  19. Urban Environment Design;

  20. Rural Water Supply;

  21. Soil Erosion Menace;

  22. Management of Urban Household and Industrial Waste;

  23. Land Inheritance, Land consolidation and Land Transfer;

  24. GIS Laboratory;

  25. Population Impact on the Environment;

  26. Flood Control and Prevention in Urban Environments;

  27. Environmental Impact Assessment Units; and

  28. Coastal Area Research Units.

5.       SCHOOL OF NAVAL ARCHITECTURE AND OCEAN ENGINEERING

  1. Marine Geodesics and Generation;

  2. Marine Geophysics and Geology;

  3. Marine Engineering;

  4. Naval Architecture;

  5. Ship Design;

  6. Strength of Ship structures;

  7. Operating Performance of Ships;

  8. Marine Systems;

  9. Marine Space Development;

  10. Ship power plants;

  11. Ship deck equipment and systems;

  12. Yachts and small ships; and

  13. Management and marketing in maritime economy.

6.       SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE

  1. Systems Science and Applied Information;

  2. Mathematical Modeling and Computational Analysis;

  3. Function Space Methods and Applications;

  4. Engineering Physics;

  5. Information Theory;

  6. Software Engineering and Information Systems;

  7. Geophysics and Artificial Intelligence;

  8. Parallel Systems;

  9. Foundation of Computing;

  10. Design Optimization;

  11. Materials and Natural Products;

  12. Surface Science and Catalysis;

  13. Methane Convention to aromatics;

  14. Developmental Biology;

  15. DNA Fingerprinting;

  16. Biotechnology, Structural Biology and Protein Design;

  17. Invitro fertilization and Cloning;

  18. Plant Growth and Development;

  19. Product of Improve Variety of Farm Animals;

  20. Ecology of Biodiversity;

  21. Cellular and Molecular Biology;

  22. Nonlinear Optics;

  23. Functional Ceramics;

  24. Chemical Synthesis;

  25. Super-conducting and magnetic thin film;

  26. Bio-engineering, Biotechnology and Applications; and

  27. Theoretical and Computational Chemistry.

7.       SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

  1. Soil health and nutrition build up;

  2. Agricultural insect pests;

  3. Development of hybrid crops which are resistant to pests etc;

  4. Tissue culture of plants and development of new protocol;

  5. Post-harvest technology of field crops and horticultural products;

  6. Micro-propagation of plant materials;

  7. Farm implementation equipment fabrication;

  8. Environmental impact of Agric projects e.g. irrigation and tree planting;

  9. Information technology in Agriculture;

  10. Agro-forestry research for erosion control, organization farming and fuel wood;

  11. Snail and mushroom farming;

  12. Agric Business Management;

  13. Large scale multiplication of tree crops and timber yielding plant seedlings;

  14. Development and communication of farm information;

  15. Soil Physics and Chemistry;

  16. Wood Products Technology;

  17. Agro-meteorological investigations for crop farming;

  18. Gender issues in agriculture/land use.

8.       SCHOOL OF FISHERIES AND FISHERIES TECHNOLOGY

  1. Fish Biology;

  2. Marine Biodiversity and Ecology;

  3. Marine Microbiology;

  4. Fish Processing Technology;

  5. Nutrient Values of Fish and Shell Fish;

  6. Physiological Requirements of Food Items;

  7. Relation Between Nutrients and Human Life Cycle;

  8. Enzymology, Fermentation Technology, Fishery Economics;

  9. Fishery Business Management;

  10. Ocean Industrial Policy Practices;

  11. Fish Gear Vessels Operation;

  12. Production and Handling of Fisheries Information;

  13. Development and Management of Aquaculture;

  14. Fish Hatchery, Mariculture, Sea Weed Culture; and

  15. Genetic Production of Culture Species.

II.   ORGANIZED RESEARCH UNITS

As a new research and development-driven technological institution, Akwa Ibom State University of Technology is expected to rely strongly on Organized Research Units.

 

Two types of  these Units are envisaged:

(a)   Department-based Research Units; and

(b)   Institutional Research Units.

 

(a)   Department-based Research Units

 

These units are to be organized primarily by the Professors and Associate Professors who are expected to provide academic leadership in their fields of specialization. A typical Departmental Research Unit would be headed by a Professor. It will have as participants a few Associate Professors and a cluster of other academics, including post doctoral research fellows, alongside research students engaged in advanced studies and research, leading to the Master of Philosophy and Doctorate degrees.

 

Apart from providing academic supervision for research students, a research unit would be expected not only to advance knowledge in a specific field, but also to engage in contract research and consultancy projects.

 

(b)  Institutional Research Units

 

The following Research Institutes have been identified in the Enabling Law of the University:

 

  1. Institute for Communications Systems Research;

  2. AIS Research Institute for Chemical and Molecular Biology;

  3. Advanced Analysis Centre;

  4. AIS Space Centre;

  5. Centre for Environmental Research;

  6. Technology Business Incubation Centre;

  7. Wood Research Centre;

  8. Agricultural Experimental Farms;

  9. Ocean Engineering Research Centre;

  10. Biodiversity Remote Centre and  Geology Museum;

  11. Institute of Fisheries  Business;

  12. Institute of Fisheries and Seafood Science;

  13. Sea Culture and Oceanographic Experimental Station;

  14. Food Processing Centre;

  15. Planetarium; and

  16. Observatory.

Others include the following two Centres which operate under the aegis of the Institute of Management and General Studies:

  1. Entrepreneurship Development Centre; and

  2. Centre for Research & Industrial Liaison.