On Tuesday, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State University (LASU) and Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), signed an educational cooperative partnership agreement with Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
The partnership is to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation between the four universities to advance women’s education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Other areas of the partnership include creative industries for faculty and students’ international exchange programmes in mutually beneficial ways.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the signing was done by Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG; Prof Adenike Boyo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) LASU; Prof. Sola Oni, Dean, School of Management and Social Science, PAU; and Dr Helene Gayle, Spelman College.
The partnership is tagged: “Developing Partnerships between U.S. and Nigerian Institutions of Higher Education”.
Ogunsola, the chief host, said: “We hope to forge stronger ties with the diaspora community to foster a developmental drive which would engender the growth of STEM education in Nigeria.
“This will help to promote capacity building for faculties, improve collaborations, foster exchange opportunities, facilitate co-creation of curricula and encourage multi-disciplinary research engagements.
“I assure you of our commitment to leverage on partnerships to build capacities in sports, artificial intelligence, robotics, fin-tech, entrepreneurship and other key areas, to meet contemporary needs and resolve global issues,” she said.
In her remarks, Gayle congratulated the consortium of universities in Lagos for the idea.
She described it as one which underscored the commitment of the ivory towers in Lagos toward the growth of faculties and greater impact on national development.
Gayle said that the partnership would go a long way in fostering new partnerships, promoting exchange programmes and facilitating academic excellence among member universities.
“This collaboration was conceived following a decision by the U.S. Presidential Advisory Committee to promote educational exchange programmes between Africa and the diaspora.
“We hope that our students from Africa can change the world by better understanding the world through the kind of exposure that this partnership offers,” she said.
LASU Vice-Chancellor, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, represented by Boyo, said that LASU was set to explore the partnership to bolster its Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM Education.
She said that the centre recently established the School of Tourism, Films, Performing Arts and Cultural Studies, and Disabilities Support Office.
Mr Richard Mills, Jnr., U.S. Consul-General in Nigeria, members of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Committee, leaders from other universities in and around Lagos, staff and students from partner universities were at the event held at UNILAG.
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