By Ben Ngwakwe Gombe
Ten Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates and two Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) students at the Department of Public Administration, Gombe State University, successfully presented their research proposals during the internal defence exercise held at the department’s boardroom, marking another milestone in their doctoral studies.
The exercise was supervised by a panel of distinguished academics led by the Head of Department, Professor Matthew Funsho Bello and a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Umar Mahmoud.
Other members of the panel included Professor Lawal Oladimeji, Professor Umar Adamu, Dr. Nasiru Modibbo, Dr. Adamu Ahmed, Dr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim, Dr. Usman Bappi, and Dr. Mbasua Ali Yakubu.
Addressing the candidates after the presentations, Professor Bello commended their efforts and urged them to diligently address all observations and corrections raised by the panel to enhance the quality of their research.
He advised the doctoral candidates to engage individually with their reviewers and internal examiners for further guidance, stressing that meticulous attention to corrections would strengthen their theses ahead of the external defence stage.
The Head of Department explained that Gombe State University currently runs two doctoral programmes in Public Administration: the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA).
According to him, the DPA programme is specifically designed for senior public servants, administrators and top management professionals seeking advanced practical knowledge in public administration, while the Ph.D. programme is research-oriented and tailored for academics and scholars.
Professor Bello noted that the DPA programme is the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria, providing a unique opportunity for high-level professionals to acquire doctoral qualifications without compromising the practical demands of public service.
He further explained that the university maintains rigorous academic standards for both programmes, requiring candidates to successfully complete seminar presentations, internal proposal defence, external defence and the submission of an acceptable thesis before the award of their respective doctoral degrees.
The internal defence exercise formed part of the university’s commitment to producing high-quality research and strengthening postgraduate education through strict adherence to academic excellence and quality assurance.