By DAYO ADESULU
ILISHAN-REMO, Ogun State — Babcock University has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening higher education in Africa by deepening its academic partnership with South Africa’s University of Venda (UNIVEN), with both institutions pledging to translate existing agreements into impactful collaborations.
The renewed partnership was highlighted during a visit by a two-member delegation from UNIVEN to Babcock University on Thursday.
The delegation was led by the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, Prof. Tawanda Runhare, and included the Faculty Manager, Dr. Mafemani Baloyi. The visit was coordinated by Babcock University’s Office of Research, Innovation and International Collaboration (RIIC), headed by Prof. Foluso Ojewole.
Speaking during the engagement, Babcock University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Afolarin Ojewole, stressed the need for stronger cooperation among African nations in advancing education.
According to him, Nigeria’s longstanding support for South Africa should now be complemented by increased collaboration from South African institutions, particularly in the education sector.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that partnerships among African universities should move beyond ceremonial agreements to initiatives that produce measurable academic and societal benefits.
A major focus of the discussions was the development of joint research grant proposals that would enable both institutions to secure larger international funding while addressing common challenges in education, the humanities and community development.
Prof. Runhare said the visit marked the beginning of a more practical phase of the collaboration.
“We are here to move from the ink on the Memorandum of Understanding to tangible outcomes that will benefit our students and faculty, especially in the School of Education and Humanities, and the broader communities we serve,” he said.
The partnership, which has been built over several years of cordial relations, is now entering a stage of active implementation, with both universities committing themselves to collaborative research, staff and student development, and community-focused initiatives.
Officials from both institutions also embraced the African philosophy of Ubuntu—the belief that shared success benefits everyone—as the guiding principle for the strengthened alliance.
The collaboration is expected to foster greater academic exchange, innovation and research while contributing to the development of higher education across the African continent.
