The Future University, Its Visions and Possibilities.
On matters of internal security, I call for a Nigeria based West African Civil Defense University (WACDU).Universities and other higher educational institutions are vital for national development. A higher institution especially a professional type of institution is instrumental in fostering of growth, assist countries, build leadership, and help other educational professionals who create policies for other agencies with the same mission and goals. The idea behind a civil defense type higher institution is to provide a specific environment for creating and make available transformation drive for civil safety and security of inhabitants and territories within the context of the country’s development.
The universities will serve as centers for educational analysis which help provides governments and communities robust evidence base to form public policy. At an institutional level, universities arepositioned to offer thorough, independent assessments of issues ranging from security, safety, and health. Alsoact as doors to study policies and strategies so they canrealize into systems that are operative, transparent, responsible, learning and changing.
A civil defense university as explained here will specifically, aims at building the capacity of the internal security professionals and persons involved with operational activities at both national and regional levels through specialized orientation /education, training, investigation and consultancy programs and services. An educational environment that will prepare officers and staff skilled to formulate national policy to guide national effort towards safe internal security. In the age of technology and changing times a West African Civil Defense University can help broke new ground by offering career-relevant, field or/and distance education for a mobile population of para-military learners with unique needs. A future university which aims to become an African pioneer in higher education, specializing in the interdisciplinary field of applied security development.
A place where various undergraduates and graduate programs will help prepare students for leadership roles both within the civil defense and internal security and for transition to post security careers. The university will dedicate itself as a hub for Nigeria and other African countries in the manner of becoming a dedicated to being a premier security and law enforcement learning and research center and an advocate for security/law enforcement’s best practices worldwide through its various programs whose work will reach far beyond the confines of the campus grounds. The university aims to forge relationships with local and international organizations including police, fire service, corrections, military, ministries, universities, schools, institutions of higher education and training. Internationally, the University aims to link with institutions of training and higher education and donor organizations. The university rights, aims to enable a mission towards a civil society, human rights, economic prosperity, counterterrorism, and prevention of natural and man-made-disasters.
The university will serve as a full-service national training facility with conference rooms and classrooms, dorms, firing ranges, a gym and pool, a library, a dining hall, and even a mock ‘city’. The university will help produce training grounds for special agents, Intelligence analysts, Professional staff, Law enforcement officers and Private sector security guards. The University will create a special training complex simulating a city where Civil defense and homeland security trainees will learn investigative techniques, driving skills, firearms skills, and defensive tactics. The complex will house functioning classrooms, administrative and maintenance areas, and audiovisual resources.
The university will serve as a center for leadership fellows’ program, and through this program, senior officers and executives from around Africa will be offered the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills by teaching, networking with staff and students, addressing leadership issues in their sponsoring agencies, attending a diversity of courses, and developing a blueprint for personal and professionalgrowth. Theuniversity will establish a Behavioral research and instruction program is made up of officers with advanced degrees in the behavioral science disciplines of psychology, criminology, and conflict resolution. The Behavioral science aim to have two components, one serving as the Behavioral Science component and the other as the Behavioral Science Investigative Assistance component.
The Behavioral Science component will be responsible for training cadets in behavioral science, criminal forensics, criminal personality profiling, behavioral Crime scene investigators, interviewing techniques and behavioral technology. While the Behavioral Science Investigative Assistance will be responsible for in-field investigation and consultations. The members of the Behavioral Research and Instruction Unit will provide programs of research, training courses, and testing, counseling/consultation services.
The university aims to develop processes, systems, and academic programs that are purpose-driven professions. The University will develop and offer degrees and certificate programs in:
- Accounting.
- African Studies.
- Behavioral Forensics
- Business.
- Communications.
- Computer Technology.
- Criminal Justice.
- Civil DefenceAdministration.
- Cyber Security.
- Data Science.
- Digital Forensics.
- Emergency and Disaster Management.
- Environmental Science.
- Engineering.
- English and languages.
- Entrepreneurship.
- Environmental Science.
- Ethics Education.
- Fire Science Management.
- Forensic Behavioral analysis.
- Forensic Mental health Counseling.
- Forensic Science.
- Government Contracting.
- Health Sciences.
- Healthcare Administration.
- History.
- Homeland Security.
- Hospitality Management.
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Human Resource Management.
- Information Technology/ Management.
- Intelligence Studies.
- International Relations and Global Security.
- Legal Studies.
- Logistics Management.
- Management.
- Marketing.
- Mathematics.
- Natural Sciences.
- Nursing.
- Philosophy.
- Political Science.
- Psychology.
- Public Health.
- Public Management.
- Records Management.
- Religion.
- Security and strategic intelligence.
- Security Information/ Management.
- Sociology.
- Space Studies.
- Sports Management.
- Supply Chain Management.
- Technical/technology Management.
- Transportation and Logistics Management.
WACDU will not just be an agent of social mobility, a site of training and instruction, it will stand out as a crucial intellectual milieu where special knowledge is formed, disseminated, and challenged. WACDU as well-funded and resourced universitycould have a tremendous international, social and economic impact across Africa. Along with the aims and objectives of an interior or internal affairs or home affairsministry which is responsible for a nation’s internal affairs, chiefly public security, emergency management, law enforcement and internal intelligence; the university should be a full component of the internal affairs ministry.
The University as part of its goals it will be building the capacity of Nigeria and other African security and law enforcement institutions and partner in nation capacity in various law enforcement and security functions, it will serve as an institution providing ethical learning in all of its programs countering against corruption, limited effectiveness, and strained relationships with communities.
The university as a project and an initiative institution aims to develop standards that will provide a foundation of a professional internal security force on which future programs can build. The university programs will add to increase professionalization of African law enforcement academies/training institutions and to standardize institutional practices throughout Nigeria and other countries, where possible. The goal of the security/law enforcement/para-military professionalization project is to ensure forces-based institution recruitment, education, and training and formal standards and practices result in law enforcement officers capable of addressing citizen security challenges and strengthen the relationship between police and the communities they serve. A university that will contribute to public safety and the quality of life of the people who live and work in Nigeria and other African countries or who visit them as a tourists and outsiders.
The university will provide programs for active and trainee law enforcement and security personnel on Firearm training and firearm discharge focusing on active shooter drills and officer’s accidental discharge of firearms; dispatcher training for 911 operators, law enforcement dispatchers, and other public safety telecommunicators.
Prof.John Egbeazien Oshodi, an American-based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional and Career Development. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African settings especially. In 2011, he introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM University, Benin of Republic. Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is the founder,of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien University Of Values And Ethics, a mainly E-learning educational environment (TEU). Author of over 36 academic publications/creations, at least 200 public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.
Prof. Oshodi was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria to parents with almost 40 years of police/corrections service, respectively. Periodically visits home for scholastic and humanitarian works. Jos5930458@aol.com
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