The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, has charged academics and researchers in tertiary institutions, to re-examine and recommit themselves to their purpose of joining the comity of intelligentsias.
Speaking at a Training Workshop which was held at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUTECH), Ikorodu, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the Vice-Chancellor also buttressed the need for management of tertiary institutions to initiate policies which stimulates problem-solving research, promotes excellent teaching as well as ensures good staff development and retention.
Prof. Ogunsola who spoke on the theme of the workshop: Strengthening University Culture: Making the Universities Great, expressed deep concerns over the adverse effects of various government policies on academics in Nigeria over the decades. She however commended ivory towers for keeping the flag flying despite the harsh conditions and scarce resources.
The Professor of Medical Microbiology stressed the need for university campuses to be the epicentre of knowledge growth, hence the necessity for government and other stakeholders to collaborate with the academic community to initiate policies and build infrastructures which would support innovative research to propel national development.
While cautioning against the widening gap between the current education system and the industry which she described as more skill-driven than certification, Prof. Ogunsola warned against laxity and advocated that faculty members develop solution-driven skills so as to keep pace with the current technological evolution changing the education landscape.
Sharing her thoughts on the relevance and role of university education in the years and decades ahead, the Vice-Chancellor advised management of universities to ensure a safe and secure environment for both academics and students, encourage healthy competition among rank and file, encourage joint degree programmes, embrace the democratization of knowledge and support community engagement. These strategies, according to her, would assist the academic community in meeting the demands of the fast-changing industry.
The workshop, according to the Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUTECH), Ikorodu and host of the Workshop, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya was part of efforts aimed at encouraging academics to develop and cultivate the right values while promoting the right culture in the university.
Prof Odusanya said the choice of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, as resource person was based on her track record of excellence as a thought leader, and her exemplary leadership in UNILAG especially in pursuit of the UNILAG Future-Ready Agenda.
