The Chairman of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities, Professor Victor Samson Dunga, has referred to as for increased authorities funding of postgraduate research and larger institutional help for graduate faculties.
Dunga warned that insufficient funding in postgraduate schooling might depart Nigeria depending on overseas experience and research options.
He gave the warning whereas delivering the keynote deal with on the 68th common assembly of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities, held at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State on Monday.
“A country that under invests in postgraduate education will sooner or later import solutions, ideas and experts,” he mentioned.
He additionally urged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, to increase direct research funding to postgraduate college students, whereas calling on college managements to grant postgraduate faculties larger administrative autonomy and sources.
The keynote speaker, the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, additionally referred to as on Nigerian universities to introduce stricter measures towards research fraud, enhance postgraduate supervision and deal with delays in doctoral programmes.
Ogundipe warned that practices reminiscent of contract writing, fabricated research findings, questionable journal publications and the misuse of synthetic intelligence had been threatening the credibility of postgraduate {qualifications} awarded by Nigerian universities.
The former vice-chancellor mentioned universities might now not rely solely on plagiarism detection software program to ensure tutorial integrity, stressing that institutional insurance policies and correct supervision had been equally necessary.
“Integrity cannot be compromised into existence. Universities must establish effective mechanisms to monitor research activities and ensure that postgraduate students produce original academic work,” Ogundipe mentioned.
He additionally criticised poor supervision practices, noting that lecturers who settle for extreme numbers of doctoral candidates typically wrestle to supply the eye required to information their research.
“If you have a PhD student that stays with you for more than five years, there’s a problem majorly with the scholar,” he mentioned.
He urged supervisors to keep up common contact with their college students and set up clear research instructions.
Ogundipe proposed necessary research ethics coaching, formal supervision agreements, clear pointers on generative synthetic intelligence, common similarity checks and confidential reporting channels as measures universities ought to introduce to guard tutorial requirements.
The Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, who welcomed delegates to the assembly, mentioned postgraduate schooling remained central to research, innovation and the event of expert manpower.
He urged universities to prioritise research high quality fairly than merely growing postgraduate enrolment.
The assembly, held beneath the theme, ‘Rebuilding the Foundation: Repositioning Postgraduate Education for Quality, Integrity and Global Competitiveness in Nigerian Universities’, introduced collectively provosts, deans and different schooling stakeholders to debate reforms geared toward bettering research requirements, supervision and worldwide competitiveness in Nigerian universities.
