POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA (PGD) PROGRAMME

The Centre has the mandate of evolving the curriculum and research programmes for space science and technology (SST) education in Africa. The important areas of space science and technology application at the postgraduate diploma level are: Remote Sensing/Geographic Information System (RS/GIS), satellite communication (SATCOM), satellite meteorology (SATMET) and basic space and atmospheric science (BSAS).

The inter-disciplinary nature of the postgraduate diploma programme is expected to cover all the relevant areas where peaceful applications of SST are identified to be of potential benefit to the region's growth and development in the short to long term. The postgraduate diploma programmes will run over a 9-month period.

The programme is advertised annually (usually in July) both within and outside Nigeria, to all the participating African countries: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The first 3 months of the course will be spent on the core module (CM). This will cover the fundamental concepts in space science and technology, as well as data management related to space technology applications. Thereafter, in the next 3 months, students will be exposed to applications side of the courses. In the final trimester, students will take on mini-projects as dissertations on topics in their specialized areas of SST applications.

The different course options planned by the Centre are in the following areas:

• Remote Sensing and GIS with emphasis on the utilization of remote sensing for efficient resources utilization and management, hence generating sustainable plans for development, with emphasis on Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM), this module would cover: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing; Concepts of Resource Management and Science of Sustainable Development; GIS and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology concepts; Integrated Resources Development; Carrying Capacity Assessment; Environmental Management based on Global Issues and Project Planning for NREM. This Module is designed as a 9-month programme.



• Satellite Communications with emphasis on the understanding of communications technology and its applications for providing services for education, health care, rural communications, etc. Satellite based communications is the only means for reaching out to the world and it is towards this that the module will be focused. The module will cover systems design and system engineering in satellite communications areas undertaking major project for demonstration and validation of system concept and their applications and design, fabrication and testing of specialized ground and space hardware. This programme is envisaged to be for 9 months, including the 3 months Core Module.



• Satellite Meteorology and Global Climate towards research and study of climate and weather modeling with a view to understanding and managing the phenomenon of cyclones, rain-storms, cloud dynamics, etc. The programme will include (but will not be limited to) aspects of Satellite Meteorology, and El Nino and Southern Oscillations Index in the region. The impact of the sub-tropical high Pressure Systems, Monsoon Systems, the Sub-Tropical Jets, the African Easterly jets. Oceans processes, the Earth's Boundary Layer Processes, etc., on the weather and climate regimes of the continent as revealed by meteorological satellites, will form and important part of the programme. The programme will be for 6 to 9 months, including the 3 months Core Module



• " Basic Space and Atmospheric Sciences with emphasis on the understanding of the basic aspects of Space and Atmospheric Sciences (and Technology). The programme is research oriented, and will include research programmes in the earth's atmosphere and its change over the region/globe; ionosphere and solar terrestrial interaction; space science; data acquisition and modeling. The module will cover system design and system engineering desired space technology systems; undertaking projects for demonstration and validation of systems concepts and their applications and design, fabrication and testing of simple and specialized space technology hardware. The programme will be for 9 months duration.

A certificate is awarded at the end of the course. At successful completion of the diploma programme, students are encouraged to apply for a masters' degree programme of the Obafemi Awolowo University in their relevant areas. It is envisaged that the graduates from these programmes will find employment with national/international institutions and agencies dealing with application-side of Space Science and Technology.

Eligibility: Applicants are expected to have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree obtained from an internationally" recognized university/institution. A minimum of five year's of postgraduate experience in teaching, research or practical work-experience in any field of the natural sciences, telecommunications, broadcasting, health care, disaster monitoring, etc. is desirable. In cases of applicants with higher qualifications, this requirement could be waived. Policy and decision makers from government ministries, agencies or parastatals are especially encouraged to apply.