In keeping to the promise of building a mutual relationship with all stakeholders in the educational sector, the University Management under the able leadership of the Vice-chancellor, Professor Labode Popola on Thursday, August 29, 2019 received the new controller of the branch of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Osun State.
The Vice-Chancellor welcomed the new branch controller to the state of the living spring and congratulates him for the new elevation. He introduced the institution to the controller and his entourage as an institution that is set up as a conventional, multi-campus University charged with the production of high quality, well–rounded, globally competitive and entrepreneurial graduates who are catalysts for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development of Osun State, Nigeria and the world.
The branch controller, Dr. Moshood Busari, while responding to the Vice Chancellor’s remark said, “It is our standard at WAEC to visit and introduce new management to the institutions in the state as they are the major stakeholders that are contributing to academic excellence. He further stated that there are series of facilities that WAEC has that UNIOSUN can tap into to achieve their set goals. Such facilities include the Result Checker that is now online, Omnibus Result CD, Online Verification of Candidates among others.
The registrar, Mr. Gafar Shittu also join the Vice-chancellor in welcoming the new controller to the state and further advised the body to always protect the integrity of all WAEC’s processes. “As you may be aware that there are lots of people that are working round the clock online to always sabotage new initiatives, and to prevent the case of online hacking of the process of building academic excellence, WAEC should work more on the new processes of checking and releasing students’ results online.”
While rounding up, the Vice-chancellor appreciates the new management of WAEC in Osun for the visit and promise them that the Osun State University is ready to work with the new management.
Members of staff of Osun State University recently joined other stakeholders on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 10th annual sustainable development summit (ISDS) which held at the University of Ibadan from 19th to 21st August, 2019.
The summit which was organized by Centre for Sustainable Development (CESDEV) with the theme “Building and Sustaining Strategic Partnerships for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals” witnessed participants from academia, research institutes, civil society organizations and not-for-profit organizations from over eight countries including the Netherlands, USA, Italy, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria.
Osun State University participated with over 10 presentations by staff members on topical issues including aquatic Biodiversity Challenges and the Needs for Strategic Conversation; Stakeholders Partnership and Strategic Counselling Windows for Quality Education and Enhanced Productivity; Increasing Anthropogenic Activities and Coastal Water Quality, Inclusive Development Planning for Poverty Reduction; Heavy Metal from Anthropogenic Effect on Fish Abundance and Biodiversity; Public-Private Partnerships for Entrepreneurial Education and Innovation in Tertiary Institutions for Sustainable Development; and ICT for Quality Learning in Schools and Impactful Positive Change for Sustainable Development.
The Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Labode Popoola who attended the summit as the pioneer Director of CESDEV and the Director of a co-organizer of the event, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) addressed the participants and emphasized more on the need for more partnerships and collaborations among all stakeholders at all levels. While he was reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index and Dashboard, a key data measurement on the performances of countries reiterated the grey areas where research and strategic developmental attention are required, specifically, on poverty reduction – Goal 1, quality education – Goal 4, human health and wellbeing – Goal 3, decent work and innovation – Goal 8, clean and affordable energy – Goal 7 and peaceful co-existence and justice – Goals 16. He however noted that all the goals are important as they are interconnected, therefore, addressing any one means it's important in achieving others.
The participation of Osun State University delegates at the events strengthened further the collaboration between the two universities, the Center and UN-SDSN while new partnerships were built between the newly launched Osun State University Global Affairs on Sustainable Development Institute (GASDI) and other development bodies including the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development in Nigeria (CSCSD), the Development Practice Academy (DEPRA), Development Practitioner's Network (DPNet) and Development Policy Centre (DAVRI).
The principal delegates from Osun State University include the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Labode Popoola; Director of the Directorate of Inter-campus and Public Affairs, Prof. Anthony Kola-Olusanya; Ag. Director of the Global Affairs on Sustainable Development Institute, Dr. John Agbonifo; Dr. Mutahir Abanikannda, Dr. Luqman Abidoye, Dr. Yakubu, Dr. Munir Wahab, Dr. Kenneth Irueh and Mr. Opeyemi Adebisi.
Osun State University sponsored six students' leaders to the 5th edition of the Peace Conference of Students Leaders held at the University of Ghana, Legon by Impact Africa International Leadership Council between 23rd and 27th July, 2019.
The six student leaders who were selected from each of the campuses of the university were very excited about the trip. The six (6) the students leaders are Kuye Ramota (Female, Osogbo), Adewusi Bukola (Female, Ejigbo) and Afolabi Omowunmi (Female, Ipetu – Ijesa), Agunbiade Michael (Male, Ifetedo), Akinade Nurudeen (Male, Okuku) and Omotoso Adeoye (Male, Ikire). As requested by the organizers, the students were accompanied by the Acting Dean Students Affairs Unit, Dr. Abiona Oluseye.
The peace conference themed Students Leaders and the Culture of Peace was aimed at training students leaders on how to lead and avoid conflict or protest during their regimes while the outcome of the conference was a better understanding of leadership with respect to peace and service without conflicts.
The conference had in attendance, students from various universities within and outside Ghana with presentations from students on Africa's journey to peace: The role of student leadership, Enhancing conflict resolution process: The case of Osun State University, The role of student's leaders in ensuring campus peace, How to run an ethical election, and Maximizing accountability in student governance.
After all the presentations and discussions, resolutions were documented and participants were encouraged to propagate the resolutions in their various campuses. The conference was capped with a tourist trip for the students around Accra and ended up on a beach.
According to one of the students, Kuye Ramota “my attendance at this conference has really opened my mind to so many issues about the administrative processes in the University and which has changed my perception about how and when reasonable agitations can be made without disrupting the peace in University campuses”.
Osun State University under the leadership of Professor Labode Popoola was recently inducted as a full member of the Association of African Universities (AAU). The official membership certificate was presented to the Vice-Chancellor by the president of the AAU, Professor Orlando Antonio Quilambo in Egypt on the 11th of July 2019 during the Conference of Rectors, Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of African Universities (COREVIP) at the Al-Azhar University Conference Centre, Cairo which held between 8th and 10th of July 2019.
The conference themed The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Promoting Continental Education Strategy For Africa (CESA) was attended by Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and notable personnel from various institutions in Africa.
The conference held ten plenary sessions featuring amongst other things, the AAU business, keynote presentations, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum reforms and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), sponsored presentation to African higher education, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of revitalization, research, innovation and conflict management, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of data management and ICT, CESA higher education contribution in the areas of mobility (via new ways of educational improvement), engaging with the diaspora for promoting African Higher Education and round table discussions on efforts, needs, and coordination of sub-clusters. Each session held with sub-theme and they were very interactive, impactful and well moderated.
The conference also recorded twelve parallel sessions on Wednesday July 10, 2019 to cover wider areas of seeking solution to the various challenges in the educational sector under the chairmanships of important dignitaries from the academia including the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Labode Popoola. Delegates from Osun State University were lead by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola while others include Prof. A. Kola-Olusanya, Director, Inter-Campus and Public Affairs; Prof. D. I. Akintayo, Provost,College of Management & Social Sciences; Dr. O. C. Nwoke, Ag. Provost, College of Agriculture and Mr. A. O. Abiodun, Deputy Registrar Academic Affairs Unit.