Baze University, Abuja, is positioning itself to compete with leading universities globally by making research, innovation, multidisciplinary skills and international partnerships the pillars of its academic development.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday during a visit by Education Correspondents to his office in Abuja.
Adeniyi said the university was deliberately building a research driven academic culture while attracting scholars with strong research backgrounds and forging strategic partnerships with institutions within and outside Nigeria.
He described research and innovation as critical to the survival and relevance of universities in an era of rapid technological transformation.
“Research is the hallmark of development because the essence of research is to provide insights, new perspectives and new dimensions away from the things that we have been doing,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that the university was preparing to introduce a system of external academic examiners from outside Nigeria to periodically assess the work of its faculties and recommend measures for improving academic standards in line with global best practices.
According to him, the initiative would complement the regulatory oversight of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Adeniyi also revealed that Baze University was overhauling its curriculum to produce graduates equipped for an increasingly multidisciplinary labour market.
He said the university had introduced entrepreneurial and other skills based programmes across disciplines, stressing that academic certificates alone were no longer sufficient to guarantee success in the modern economy.
“The world has become so transdisciplinary that when people are multi skilled, they are at a better advantage than the one whose skill is solo,” he said.
He cited the university’s partnership under the World Bank supported IDEAS programme as part of its practical skills development strategy, saying the initiative had helped train young Nigerians in skills capable of promoting self reliance and entrepreneurship.
Adeniyi said the university’s objective was to produce graduates who would not only compete for jobs but also create opportunities, drive innovation and contribute to economic growth.
He said the performance of Baze alumni across different sectors including entrepreneurship, business and professional practice was evidence of the impact of the institution’s multidisciplinary approach.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university was expanding its international footprint, with students from Nigeria and other African countries, particularly the West African subregion.
He said Baze was developing collaborations with institutions and stakeholders in countries such as Sierra Leone and Kenya, with the aim of exposing students and academics to international opportunities, networks and best practices.
Adeniyi acknowledged that building a globally competitive university would take time, sustained investment and deliberate planning, noting that some of the world’s leading universities had evolved over centuries.
He however, said Baze University was committed to pursuing its own growth through consistent implementation of its vision and investment in research capacity, human capital, academic infrastructure and international partnerships.
“We are building an institution that can compete globally,” Adeniyi said, stressing that the university would continue to pursue the objective while maintaining compliance with Nigeria’s regulatory requirements.
