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On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, a significant step towards strengthening academic ties and deepening collaboration was set in motion during discussions between the leadership of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nigeria, and Rutgers University, USA.
The Rutgers University delegation included the Chancellor, Professor Antonio Tillis; Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Jimmy Jung; Mrs. Shakirat Bola-Ibraheem, Crystal Sanders and Dr. Sarafa O. Ibraheem.
They were received by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, along with the university’s three Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa (Development Services); Professor Lucian Obinna Chukwu (Management Services) and Professor Bola Oboh (Academics and Research), at her 11th Floor Office of the Senate House, Akoka, Lagos.
The Chancellor of Rutgers University, Professor Antonio Tillis explained that their visit to the UNILAG was part of an ongoing effort to improve his institution’s internationalisation drive and foster global engagement with reputable institutions.
The Professor of African-American Literature expressed confidence in the reputation of the University of Lagos as a top-class citadel of learning and research, having made a name with its immense contribution in building manpower locally and internationally.
He noted the strides being recorded by the Institute of African Diaspora Studies (IADS-UNILAG), adding that “it has gradually become a hub telling the African narratives better through quality research works”.
Professor Tillis expressed his University’s commitment to promoting academic excellence and cultural understanding through collaborative initiatives.
In response, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, warmly welcomed the Rutgers University team. She highlighted the importance of internationalization and UNILAG’s cross-border partnerships with reputable institutions.
According to her, “this visit further serves as a testament to the commitment of both institutions to fostering global engagement and creating opportunities for academic growth and development”.
While enumerating the level of work that has gone into UNILAG’s internationalization drive, Professor Ogunsola stated that “Incorporating international perspectives into teaching and research has become one of the core goals of higher education institutions that are keen about maintaining global relevance. For a developing continent like Africa, higher education is an essential instrument for socioeconomic development and we are heavy on that as an institution of global repute”.
The Vice-Chancellor pointed out some of the feats achieved by the University of Lagos in areas such as entrepreneurship, development, innovation, and technology drive among others.
She averred that the globalized nature of the modern world makes it essential for individuals to be proficient in more than one language, noting that offering foreign language programs can equip students with valuable skills that are increasingly sought after in various professional fields such as diplomacy, tourism, and international relation. ”So, we have in place the Confucius Institute that specializes in foreign culture, precisely, Chinese as well as qualified tutors in the Faculty of Arts who teach other languages like German, Russian, and French.”
The discussions provided a platform for both institutions to gain insights into each other’s academic programs and research activities; explore avenues for joint research projects and degree programs as well as exchange opportunities for students and faculty members.
Rutgers University is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen’s College, and was affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States, the second-oldest in New Jersey after Princeton University, and one of nine U.S. colonial colleges that were chartered before the American Revolution.
Source: UNILAG
