The School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos (UNILAG) has matriculated new students for the 2023/2024 Academic Session. The Matriculation Ceremony, which doubled as an Orientation Programme, was held at the J.F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium on Monday, February 26, 2024.
On hand to declare the ceremony open was the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS who congratulated the new postgraduate students on their admission to the prestigious University of Lagos and charged them to brace up for the demands of the journey ahead.
Her words: “You all are special people, and you have come to a really special place – a special university where we build leaders who have value and character. I hope you took your Matriculation Oath with the understanding that what we are asking of you is to become a better version of yourself. We are in the 4th Industrial Revolution and I can tell you that anything that can be reduced to an algorithm will be fed to the machine. What will make the difference will be humans who can think, empathise, and innovate. That is what the University of Lagos will help you achieve”.
The Vice-Chancellor charged the matriculating students to have a purpose for their postgraduate endeavour. She urged them to yearn for more than certification and titles, but to seek to develop the capacity to apply knowledge to solving national challenges.
“Why are you here?”, she queried. “You must be here because you want to develop your mind to think critically and innovatively; to develop yourself and to contribute to the nation. Nigeria needs every one of you here. It will be a waste of time and money if you have come here just to have the title of “Dr.” added to your name. When you are choosing topic, I urge you to go out there and identify problems; come back here and research the solutions with the right questions and appropriate methodology. That is the way to make your knowledge relevant”.
She shared postgraduate success tips with the students and assured them of the readiness of all stakeholders in the university to make their sojourn a pleasant and memorable one.
“As you begin your postgraduate journey, I urge you to learn how to manage your supervisor. You will start with some thoughts and ideas, but you must open your mind to follow the knowledge. Do your Literature Review really well to be able to understand the field in which you have identified a problem. Your Methodology must be deep and must truly answer your Research Questions. The problems of our country require collaborative and independent thinking. Independent thinking is not easy, but that is what you have come to learn to do. Be assured of our determination to support you all the way in order to make your journey a pleasant one”.
The Acting Registrar, Mrs. Olakunle Makinde, MNIM administered the Matriculation Oath on the students.
“Don’t stop yourself”
A punchy and passionate presentation by the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Solomon Osinubi signalled the beginning of the Orientation Programme, the second part of the event. Sharing lessons from his days as a PhD student of over 40 years of age, he urged the matriculating students to be focused, self-motivated, and resilient.
“If you do not stop yourself, nobody can stop you! I want you to put on resilience, which is very much needed in the world of today. Without resilience, you can’t get to the other side; you can’t optimise your potentials. So, I say to you, “Don’t stop yourself!”. It is our duty to guide you to success, and we shall glad do that.”
With his presentation, titled: The SPGS Compass: Navigating the Maze, Prof. Osinubi itemised and explained in details the virtues and behavioural traits that will help the matriculating students as they aim for success in their respective programmes. Some of these include: Conscientiousness, Time Management, Health Consciousness, Collaboration/Networking, Self-Discipline and Humility.
“The greatest characteristic of a solidly bred academic is humility. Humility is paramount for postgraduate studies”, he said.
More a Process than a Project
The Sub-Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Adegboyega Ehinmowo, also encouraged the Matriculants with the second presentation titled, Navigating the Academic Landscape: Understanding School Academic Policies and Rules.
He urged them to conceive their respective postgraduate programmes as a process of becoming better and more capable individuals rather than just the completion of their research projects.
“The PhD is more of a process than the project itself. That orientation is also applicable to all of you, whether your programme is a PGD or a Masters. Your postgraduate education is a journey to discovering yourself, to unearthing the potentials inside you, to becoming a capable hand that will contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he said.
“What will you do with your knowledge?”
Success Blueprint: Strategies for Timely Graduation of our Students was the title of the third presentation made by the Director of the D.K. Olukoya Central Research and Reference Laboratories, Prof. Wellington Oyibo.
He charged the students to know that “Research is all about the people, their needs, their space, and their environment. It should be intentionally tailored to engender solutions. Your degrees are no longer sufficient to describe who you are. The ultimate question that will define who you are is, “What will you do with your knowledge?”
Gratitude, Gratitude, and More Gratitude
Director and Administrative Secretary of the School of Postgraduate Studies, Mrs Yetunde Ogunlewe, rounded up the well-attended event with her hearty Vote of Thanks to all stakeholders whose selfless contributions made the event, the first of its kind, a reality.
REPORT: Isaiah Kumuyi
PHOTOGRAPH: Ayo Oloyede
