THE new Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole has identified insufficient funding as a major challenge he faced as he sought to transform the institution within the next five years. For him, repositioning the university to be self-reliant and self-sustaining was imperative, because the university generates a meager 18 per cent of its recurrent costs at the moment. Adewole, who spoke while presenting his paper titled Roadmap to Growth and Sustainable Development, before members of the institutions alumni association, Lagos branch, at their first quarter general meeting held recently, also noted that collective efforts were needed in sustaining the giant strides the university had made and taking it to where it ought to be. He said: Our greatest challenge is to sustain the progress that has been made and march forward to catapult and transform our institution into a truly 21st century international university with relevance to local needs. There is a lot of work to be done. We need to generate funds to sustain the university. I intend to use the principles of team work, exemplary leadership, honesty, integrity, transparency and decentralisation to focus on people in the university as vehicles and backbone for the development and growth of academic excellence. Some of the strategies he enumerated were: broadening the financial base of UI and developing a robust investment portfolio, encouraging good, innovative and evidence-based practice in support of high quality learning and teaching in all courses, promoting research, enterprise and innovation, ensuring that learning and teaching is managed efficiently, consistent with need, high standards and quality. Others include providing relevant initial and continuing professional development opportunities for all staff members, motivating staff and students towards achieving university vision, ensuring that university remains relevant to societal aspirations and needs, and actively promoting welfare of staff and students. On the issue of energy and water, which he said, were very critical to academic development and quality life, he said: we will require about N5 billion naira to address this twin challenge. While announcing that establishment of the University Of Ibadan School of Business, which he noted would take-off in the 2011/2012 academic session. Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mr. Wole Olanipekun, said: UI caters for about 50 per cent of graduates we produce in this country. Since 1948, it has clustered to where it is today. The only militating factor we have is financial support from government, individuals and corporate organization. You cannot give N10 million to other institutions and give the same amount to UI. We are talking about the largest university in the country. The Chairman of association, Mr. Sola Oyetayo, in his remark stated that the branch was committed to visiting past presidents, selected elders and corporate organisations as a way of marketing and attracting support and sponsorship from them, linking all its members through various adopted programmes of the association.
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