The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) on Monday commenced the conduct of interview for 568 candidates for doctorate and master’s degree to be awarded overseas’ scholarships.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the interview is holding at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, the venue for the North-West geo-political zone.
A representative of PTDF, Abuja, Alhaji Garba Bako, told newsmen that the essence of the interview was to get qualified candidates to be awarded scholarship.
He said that 215 Ph.D candidates and 353 M.Sc. candidates were attending the interview.
Bako who assured the candidates that the interview would be transparent, also advised them to feel at home, exhibit a high sense of courage and decorum during the interview.
“It is an interview in which we have given the criteria before: those with second class upper degree (2 : 1 grade) as well as those with second class lower (2 : 2 grade) but with industrial experience can apply.
“After that, we did a small screening in the office before we invited participants for this interview.
“We have six centres across the geo-political zones of this country,” he said.
Bako said that the current interview covered the Geology and Computing group, Engineering group as well as Environmental and Management group.
“These are the three basic groups and this interview is for candidates for the Ph.D group, while that of the M.Sc. will come up later.”
On targeted number of candidates, Bako said that it would be determined by the number of successful candidates after the interview.
“The number of candidates who are successful will determine the number of people to be awarded the scholarship.
“It is going to be a full-time scholarship and the successful candidates will study in France, Germany and China.
“These are countries where PTDF wants to expand partnership with their universities.
“This is the first of its kind; this type of screening was introduced by the new Executive Secretary when he came on board,” he said.
One of the participants, Mustapha Mahmud, who presented a Ph.D. proposal on telecommunication, described it as a normal interview session.
“It is a normal interview experience, you meet with strange people but if you are in camp you will be able to explain your points.
“My presentation is actually on a new emerging area, it is a light communication; that is the area where I made presentation.
“Remember it is not actually a war front, you will explain your points, what you have for them and they will ask you questions based on your proposal,” he said. (NAN)