You are welcome to the Directorate of General Studies, FUTO.
The General Studies Programme is a programme of studies that exposes students to different fields of learning without sacrificing academic specialization. On this site, you will find information about our staff, our responsibilities and our goals.
VISION
T o build the Directorate of General Studies, FUTO, into an enviable model center of excellence for the actualiization of the rationale of General Studies Programme: broad- based education structured to produce multi-dimensional, well-rounded, versatile, liberal human person fit to engage in society
MISSION
- To burnish the DGS brand.
- To put in place a restructured and inclusive curricula, in programmes and Course- Content upgrade, of GSP in line with the current focus of tertiary education managers and administrators and NUC.
- To mentor, increase the skills and competencies and general capacity- building of DGS Staff through the sponsoring and organization of regular symposia, seminars, workshops, conferences, and DGS lecture series.
- To motivate and inspire DGS Staff through prompt promotion and provision of improved welfare packages.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DIRECTORATE OF GENERAL STUDIES IN THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI (FUTO)
Here, at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, the General Studies Directorate did not need to reinvent the wheel because the planning of the programme has taken into consideration development in the General Studies Programme in Nigerian Universities over the years. The General Studies Programme at FUTO began with the first intake of students in 1981. Then only Use of English was offered to students. By 1982, a full programme of English, Philosophy, Economics, and Sociology was offered in a Unit attached to the School of Management Technology (SMAT). In 1986, this Unit was made autonomous under its own Director as envisaged originally in the FUTO Master Plan. However, in 1987 under Prof. Amagh Nduka’s tenure, this status again gave way to that of a Unit in SMAT with a Head of Department instead of a Director. It remained so for many years until the fifth substantive Vice Chancellor, Prof. C.O.E. Onwuliri, returned it to its original status of a Directorate headed by a Director with the status of a Dean.
Being a University of Technology, there exists an obvious need to ground the students in the various philosophical, linguistic communications, sociological and political theories and day to day principles that make them astute and unique technologists, scientists and management technocrats. From a humble beginning of about three members of staff, the Directorate presently has a total of Seventy Four (74) academic staff. This is made up of Professors, Associate Professors/Readers, Senior Lecturers and a host of other promising junior academics.
The Directorate of General Studies is comprised of five units, namely:
- The Use of English Unit
- The Philosophy Unit
- The Social Sciences Unit
- The French Unit
- The Igbo Unit
Prof. Jerry Obi- Okogbuo
The Director, Directorate of General Studies
Jerry Obi- Okogbuo,KSJI, FCAI, Ululo, is a Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Directorate of General Studies, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He Specializes and Teaches Philosophy of Science, Classical and Symbolic Logic. He has over 50 Publications and has Supervised over 250 Research Project/ Memoirs. He is married to Dr. Mrs. Ego Obi-Okogbuo and together they have Four Children.
Academics Qualifications and Date
• Ph.D. Philosophy of Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
• M.A. Social and Political Philosophy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
• B. Phil (Hons) Philosophy, Pontifical Urban University, Rome
• WASC. Division One, St. John- Cross Isienu, Nsukka
Dr. John Nwanegbo-Ben
Head Of Philosophy Unit
Dr. (Mrs.) L.N. Amaechi
Head Of Social Science Unit
Dr Chika Glory Opara
Head Of English Language Unit
Dr. (Mrs.) C.C. Olekaibe
Head Of Igbo Language Unit