The Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, has received a delegation from Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, United States of America.
Speaking on the visit, the Vice-Chancellor said that it was a return of the Kabiyesi Olowu Tertiary Institutions Collaboration (KOTIC) Consortium visit to some American universities in May 2023.
He explained that an alumnus of the University of Ibadan, a First Class graduate of Mechanical Engineering, His Royal Majesty, Oba Professor Saka Adelola Matemilola, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, had put together a Consortium of Nigerian institutions of higher learning to collaborate with identified American institutions.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the institutions are the University of Ibadan; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Bells University, Ota; Crescent University, Abeokuta; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye; Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta; and Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
Professor Adebowale said that the universities are expected to collaborate in the areas of their strengths in the thematic areas.
The thematic areas include renewable energy, climate change and environment, Information/Data Science, health, archaeology, archival and historical documentation, and entrepreneurship.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the return visit was a testament that the relationships would be sustained.
He said there was a need to encourage early career academics to form the new generation of academics to take over from the retiring professors.
The leader of the visiting team, Professor Erk Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs at Rutgers University, affirmed that the visit was to connect with members of the delegation that visited Rutgers University earlier this year to further develop areas of collaboration and engagement.
He said the collaboration is expected to include faculty and student exchange, Train-the-Trainer programming, and study abroad programming.
Professor Garfunkel said Rutgers intends to have partner institutions around the world to promote research. He made it known that his university was founded in 1776 and presently has a student population of over 70,000.
Rutgers University stands among America’s highest- ranked, most diverse public research universities. It is known as a University of opportunity, dedicated to teaching that meets the highest standards of excellence, to conducting research that breaks new grounds, and to providing services, solutions and clinical care that help individuals in the local, national and global communities where they live.
The University of Ibadan began in 1948 as a College of the University of London, thus making it the oldest university in Nigeria. It was granted academic independence to become a full university in 1962. It has consistently been rated as the best University in Nigeria and one of the leading 500 universities in the world. Its College of Medicine is ranked among the best in the world, while its Postgraduate College is the flagship of postgraduate studies in Nigeria.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Professor Oluyemisi A. Bamgbose, SAN; the Registrar, Mr. Ganiyu O. Saliu, the Director of the Research Management Office, Professor A. S. Jegede, Director of the Office of Alumni Relations, Professor P. O. Olapegba and Deans of the Faculties that would be involved in the thematic areas joined the Vice-Chancellor to receive the visiting delegation.
Presentations were made by both sides while the Rutgers’ team was later conducted on a tour of the University of Ibadan campus.
