ABUJA, March 1^st, 2010 – The African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (AUST), has accepted the resignation for personal reasons of Professor Hilary Inyang as President of the institution. The university has also named Professor Charles Chidume, AUST Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, as Acting President and head of the Interim Campus Leadership Committee that will run AUST after President Inyang’s departure pending the appointment of a successor.

“We wish Hilary Inyang well in his future endeavors, and thank him for his service to AUST during the period he presided over the affairs of AUST. We are confident that the Acting President and the Interim Campus Leadership Committee will ensure that AUST continues to serve its faculty and students through a transition to new leadership,” Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair of the AUST Board of Trustees said in a statement.

The Board has also announced that one of its members, Dr Frannie Leautier, who also serves as the Executive Secretary, African Capacity Building Foundation (ACDF) will chair an international search committee to identify a successor.

The African University of Science and Technology in Abuja (AUST-Abuja) was established in 2007 as the first of a Pan-African Network of universities of science and technology and centers of excellence located across the continent. AUST Abuja, which is accredited by the Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) is a world class research oriented institution with a mission to train and develop the next generation of African scientists and engineers in order to impact the continent’s development through science and technology. AUST is an independent, not-for-profit university.

The institution whose faculty is drawn from elite institutions around the world held its first Commencement Ceremony in December 2009. At the event which attracted respected academics, development experts and other dignitaries around the world, 43 successful postgraduate students from 12 African countries were awarded honours in different science programmes.