- forget craze for ‘world class’ status
By Chudey Pride
Former Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Femi Bamiro has urged Nigeria’s 162 universities to reorder their priorities and focus on more ennobling and achievable development initiatives,utilitarian research, innovation, relevance and sustainability.
He gave the keynote address titled “Teaching and Research in the 21st Century University” at the opening of Elizade University 2018 Staff Retreat in Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria.
He noted that the clamour for “world class” status by many universities was not necessary and encouraged universities to ensure pursuit of pragmatic and innovative development that would reflect on their products, institutional research and innovation output and lead intellectual drive for development in different sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
Prof. Bamiro decried what he called “too much control in the university system”, as he recommended useful linkages by universities with industrial, manufacturing, business sectors and allied institutions to enhance practical research, more employment prospects for university graduates and better growth of universities.
In his opening remarks, Acting Vice Chancellor of Elizade University, Prof Theophilus Fadayomi said the Annual Staff Retreat is an event that seeks to improve the delivery of services to Elizade students and other stakeholders with emphasis on issues at stake in 21st Century higher education.
At the Plenary Session in which Prof. Fadayomi delivered a paper titled: “Teaching and Learning Philosophy of Elizade University”, he reiterated Elizade University’s commitment to technology-driven, quality teaching; research-oriented mentoring and promotion of value-added all-round education in the luxuriant, cozy and learning-friendly environment of Elizade University.
Registrar of the institution, Mr. Omololu Adegbenro in his paper on “University Administrative Procedure and the Need for total compliance” took the audience on a tour of university administrative procedure and the expectations for continuous efficiency and smooth relations in the general drive for greater commitment to and development of the university.
The two-day retreat ended on Friday 7th December, 2018.
