The Department of Physics, College of Physical Sciences (COLPHYS), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in conjunction with the Faculty of Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, has hosted an Advanced School on Applications of First-Principles and Molecular Simulations in Physical Sciences.

The School was sponsored by the Volkswagenstiftung, Germany and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy. The training which was facilitated by Professor Adegboyega Adebayo aimed at introducing participants at the advanced level to First-Principles and Molecular Simulation methods as well as demonstrations of typical hands on practical applications in the Physical Sciences had as participants, Graduate Students, Young Scientist and Professors from other institutions.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, the Dean, College of Physical Sciences (COLPHYS), Prof. Amidu Mustapha commended the sponsors of the Advanced School, Volkswagenstiftung, Germany and ICTP, Italy for choosing FUNAAB as the host of the training programme.

He pointed out that the choice of FUNAAB as host of the International training programme has enhanced the global visibility of the University.

Declaring the Advance School opened, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako who recalled his days at ICTP as a Scholar lauded the appreciable impact of the Centre saying it has been benevolent to Africans and Nigerians, in particular.

The Vice Chancellor who is a Professor of Soil Physics charged the participants to take advantage of the School to widen their knowledge and to also savour the greenery and serenity of the campus.

Also speaking, a Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Peter Kratzer expressed the need for collaborations between his institution and FUNAAB.

The Advanced School has 11 Lecturers drawn from Europe while 50 participants were drawn from Sub-Sahara Africa with two each from Ghana and Kenya, one from South Africa and 45 from Nigeria.

Financial support was given to participants to augment transportation, feeding and accommodation costs while certificates of attendance were presented to the students at the end of the two-week training.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Salako was represented at the Closing Ceremony by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic- Designate, Professor Morenike Dipeolu; the Head of the Department of Physics (HOD), Professor Biodun Badmus and other top officers of the University were in attendance.