Nile varsity VC wants continued collaboration with NOUN

The Vice-Chancellor, Nile University of Nigeria (NUN), Prof. Nuri Arasi Osman, has requested the new Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, to toe the path of his predecessor, who encouraged collaboration between the two institutions.

Osman said the two neighbouring universities have had a fruitful synergy especially in the areas of international academic conferences and Entrepreneurial week.

Prof. Osman made this appeal when he led a 5-man delegation on a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor, at the university headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, "our main thrust of this courtesy visit is to congratulate and facilitate with the new VC on his assumption of office as the new man in the helms of affairs of the institution.

"Also to ensure continuity and solidify existing relationship and collaborations the two universities enjoyed under previous administration in terms of international academic conferences and entrepreneurial week embedded in such conferences," he said.

The NUN VC explained that although "no Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), firm and impactful collaboration has been existing and enjoyed by the two universities in the area of conferences and we want it to continue.’’

The NOUN Vice-Chancellor, in his response, welcomed the delegation and commended them for coming to felicitate with him.

Prof. Peter assured his visiting colleague that he will take it up from where his predecessor stopped.

He also stated that beyond the firm and impactful collaboration, NOUN will go further to make it official, adding, "We will take it to another level of MoU.

‘I will make the relationship more formal, I am a Chemist and I like linkages. I tend to establish linkages that will be of progress to NOUN.’’

While commending the NUN's Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, as well as a former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences of NOUN, Prof. Ganiyat Adesina-Uthman being the focal person on sabbatical in NUN, the VC also disclosed that NOUN will take the collaboration beyond sabbatical to level of staff exchange, students exchange if possible, especially in terms of collaboration between Postgraduate School and that of Business School.

He further tasked the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies(SPGS) and Co-ordinator, Business School, Prof. Mande Samila to map out working plan to see what the two universities can do together, interms of academic collaboration and material exchange.

Peters acknowledged that NUN has gone far in Postgraduate programmes while NOUN is extremely working hard to get there.

The visit came exactly a month since Prof. Peters   assumed office, on 11th February 2021, as the new VC NOUN.