The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, has inaugurated committees that would position the institution at the top of research and development in the country.
The university’s Central Office of Research (COR) unveiled six committees at a ceremony chaired by Adebayo Bamire, the vice-chancellor, and attended by the school’s principal officers, some university council members, members of staff (administrative/academic), and students on 27 September.
Akanni Akinyemi, the Executive Director of the University’s Central Office of Research, noted that the event was a result of the vice-chancellor’s desire to solve local challenges through problem-solving and cutting edge research.
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He stated that “the aim of the university is to promote the currency of Research for Development.”
He mentioned that the committees being inaugurated are to drive the “Research for Development” frontier for the university.
O.O Akinlo, the Chairperson of the University’s TETFund office, praised the vice-chancellor and the COR for the initiative to inaugurate Committees that will drive research and development for the university.
She noted that the initiative is a much-needed new approach for the university to reclaim and retain its relevance in the educational sector in Nigeria and globally.
Mrs Akinlo stressed that it is important for all staff and students to work together if the university will make both local and global impacts through research that leads to tangible development.
Mr Bamire, the vice-chancellor, noted that his strategy is to drive an all-inclusive working system among all the members of the university estate.
“The university system can only grow through the selfless efforts of men and women of like minds, shared drive, and passion for institutional development,” he said
The vice-chancellor encouraged members of the university community to make suggestions on how best to drive the university forward through the COR.
The six committees that were inaugurated were the Editorial Board for OAU Research Bulletin led by Morenike Ukpong; University Academic Research Seminar/Workshop Committee led by Charles Ukeje; and University Template Harmonization Committee led by E.T. Ijisakin.
The rest were the University Committee on Capacity Building for Early Career Researchers led by Joshua Aransiola; Internship and Students Engagement Committee led by Temitope Ajayi; and and Committee on Harnessing Indigenous Resources to Address Infrastructural Challenges in the University led by A. O. Shittu.
The committees included representatives from academic and non-academic staff as well as students.
They will build on the achievements of the previous administrations of the COR Directorate, and leverage on existing resources within the university to drive the new plan of improving the University’s Research for Development Agenda.