Campus News

UNILORIN to deepen collaboration with Malaysian varsity

In a significant step towards promoting inclusive collaboration, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Ilorin, and the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), have announced plans to collaborate for the benefit of each other.

This was the highlight of a meeting held between the Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Ilorin, Prof. Ganiyu Amuda-Yusuf, and Dr Noorsidi Aizuddin of UTM at the Office of the former recently. The meeting was also attended by the Director, Centre for International Education, University of Ilorin, Prof. Lateef Onireti Ibraheem.

The collaboration is intended to facilitate cross-border academic exchanges, research, and development that would be focused on environmental science, sustainable development, and urban planning.

According to the two parties, the collaboration is also intended to create a framework for sharing knowledge and resources as it would also address critical environmental and infrastructural challenges facing both universities.

The two Faculties also agreed to work together towards integrating teaching, research, and community service in ways that would foster sustainable solutions as it is also expected to lead to the development of joint academic programmes, specialised workshops, and opportunities for student exchanges.

The collaboration is also intended to build a strong relationship between the alumni and Faculty members of both institutions as it was observed that graduates of the University of Ilorin and UTM have always maintained robust connections, which have been contributing to a thriving network of professionals in environmental science and the built environment for deeper and more meaningful collaborations in the future.

Speaking with UNILORIN Bulletin after the meeting, the Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Ilorin, Prof. Ganiyu Amuda-Yusuf, said, “We are excited about the potential this partnership holds for both institutions. It offers an opportunity not only to bridge academic knowledge but also to create programmes that are relevant to our local communities while making a global impact. We are committed to ensuring that this collaboration results in long-term, high-impact solutions for our countries”.

Prof. Amuda-Yusuf disclosed that the two Faculties are planning a series of initiatives to enhance research capacities in areas such as climate change, urban sustainability, and infrastructure development.

He explained that the initiative would include the establishment of a joint research centre that would be focused on developing solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change on urban populations in Malaysia and Nigeria.

He added that students from the two universities will also benefit from an interdisciplinary approach to learning that would equip them with the skills necessary to address global challenges in the environmental and built environment sectors.