VC FUL tasks professors on presentation of inaugural lectures

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja (FUL) Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi,
has tasked professors to uphold the universities’ academic culture by presenting their inaugural lectures.

Akinwumi made the call at the 8th inaugural lecture of the university titled, “If you wish to go FAR, go FAIRy: Reconnoitering an Emerging Computing Paradigm” at Adankolo campus of the university in Lokoja.

The Vice Chancellor who described inaugural lectures as a prominent culture in the university system lamented that many professors in the institution were yet to present theirs.

He regretted that many Nigerian universities were gradually losing academic culture of which presentation of inaugural lectures remains a tradition.

“One of the traditions is the inaugural lecture expected of any university academic bestowed with a professorship to present immediately after such landmark achievement.

“Inaugural lecture is sacrosanct to university education and we must make sure that all professors in our university deliver their inaugural lectures because of its significance”, he said.

Akinwumi announced that as part of measures to enforce the tradition, elective and appointive positions in the university would henceforth, be based on presentation of inaugural lectures.

He described the 8th inaugural lecture as one of the best in the history of the institution and commended Prof. Oladipo for simplifying the lecture topic which he said, was a difficult area of study, for easy understanding of the audience.

Presenter of the lecture Prof. Francisca Oladipo, charged researchers in the country to develop passion for research work in order to achieve the desired goals.

She urged African researchers to always ensure that data collected in the course of their research work were made available for prospective researchers, adding that their data must be “findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.”

Speaking on the FAIR Data management principles which formed one of the core areas of the research, Prof. Oladipo said data collection and analysis could lead to a world of limitless possibilities.

She said that they could be used in many ways to impact lives positively through creation of personalised services by recommendations, drive strategies, assess impacts and ensure safety among others.

Prof. Oladipo charged FUL students to be focused and prioritise their studies in order to make their parents proud and as well, be good ambassadors of the institution after graduating in character and learning. (Ends)