The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, has charged academics and researchers to fully embrace their roles as solvers of real time challenges, beyond being knowledge creators and incubators.
She gave the charge while flagging off the 2025 Inter-University Conference for Doctoral Studies (IUCDS) on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. With the theme: Inter-University Conference for Doctoral Students on Interdisciplinary Research,the conferenceis the brainchild of the School of Postgraduate Studies in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts, UNILAG.
According to Prof. Ogunsola, the inter-university conference further accentuates the need for African researchers and scholars to re-generate indigenous knowledge and research ideas especially those that have been lost due to colonization.
She noted that the conference should, among other things, challenge participants to hone their skills to develop research questions which will be all encompassing and address contemporary issues holistically.
The Professor of Medical Microbiology emphasized the importance of quality, originality, inclusivity and thoughtful community engagements while approaching research.
The Vice-Chancellor implored participants to “…create new networks, critic each other with open mind, inspire each other and give room for ideas that will elevate the academia and make research outcomes more salient in the pursuit of national development…”
Earlier in his remarks, the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, UNILAG, Professor Abraham Osinubi described the Inter-University Conference for Doctoral Studies (IUCDS) as a forum for the nurturing of unbreakable chain for inter-university engagements. He said the event will, among other things, aid the development of doctoral studies, supervision, capacity building, peer review and academic refinement.
The event provided a platform for remarks by the Dean, Faculty of Arts, UNILAG (who is also Head, Scientific Unit of IUCDS), Professor Mudashir Ilupeju and Executive Secretary General, Inter-University Conference for Doctoral Studies, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, Professor Dominic Amuzu.
The duo applauded the theme of the conference especially when viewed against the backdrop of contemporary challenges which they said, requires multidisciplinary and interfaculty approach in solving.
The 4-day conference which runs till Friday, June 20, 2025, will feature paper presentations, critic sessions among others.
Report: Gbenga Gbelee
Photograph: Ayomide Oloyede
