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By Tunde Uchegbuo
A university gains credibility when it turns out ground-breaking research works and innovations that make society better. This is why there are mutually beneficial institutional linkages with reputable universities and research institutions around the world.
Such a relationship makes the academic content of the benefitting university globally accessible, thereby increasing its visibility and social viability.
This is why Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, is set to partner with reputable universities and research Institutions to internationalise its academic programmes.
The acting vice-chancellor, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, made this known in his New Year message to the university community where he hinted that the vision would be achieved through heavy investment in information technology and the exploration of opportunities in the growing digital space.
He said such partnership would close the digital divide between the Ignatius Ajuru University and the rest of the world, as he urged staff and students to intensify their effort to deliver high impact research that could solve industry problems, usher in quality education, offer wider experiences to the students, and engage in public service that is consistent with world-class benchmarks.
Professor Onuchuku disclosed that quality research outcomes by lecturers in the university would become globally accessible in order to enhance the institution’s visibility, ranking and competitiveness by uploading such on the internet.
In this regard, the VC urged lecturers who are yet to enroll on the Google Scholar and Research Gate platforms to do so in line with global best practices in this age of knowledge globalisation.
In addition, all well researched undergraduate projects, postgraduate dissertations and theses are to be uploaded online, hence, there is a need for proper supervision of students at all levels, as well as the insistence that references must be in conformity with current biographical methodologies.
Acknowledging that he has been greatly inspired by the creativity, innovation, enthusiasm and sacrifices of the staff and students since he assumed office on Friday, November 19, 2021, he admitted that there was the need to do more as the university aspires to rank amongst the best in Nigeria.
While noting the challenges that the university is facing, he contended that there was the need to focus attention on a strong mix of academic, infrastructure and public service so as to develop a distinctiveness that would consistently attract talented learners and motivated faculty.
He explained that 2022 is an uncertain year for higher education in Nigeria and the rest of the world because of the increasing wariness of the persisting COVID-19 pandemic and its mutating variants that have disrupted the way of teaching, research and learning in the global educational ecosystems.
The renowned economist noted that the global pandemic has altered the way businesses are done, as a result, there is dwindling revenue available to the government at all levels, leading to reduced budgetary allocations to fund priority areas across the board.
He however applauded the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his “immense investment in the education sector, especially in the state-owned universities.”
Professor Onuchuku clarified that the governor has continued to secure the future of Rivers youths by investing in the critical educational sector while adding that he is confident that Ignatius Ajuru of University of Education would continue to record more progress in its established tradition of academic excellence based on its core mandate of educator and character molder.
Recalling his vision and mission statements on how to move the university to the position of a first-choice destination for the best brains, the VC stressed the need to re-evaluate some of the institution’s programmes and reposition others for effective service delivery.
He equally appealed for the support of the staff, assuring that he is determined to build a university that would benefit all stakeholders, while announcing that some of the milestone pronouncements and policy changes he initiated on the assumption of office are already yielding very impressive results.
