Immersion Centre, CIE take academic linkage to Benin, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire

The Linguistics Immersion Centre and the Centre for International Education(CIE) of the University of Ilorin have taken the promotion of academic linkage, educational collaboration, and recruitment of international students into the University to neighboring countries of Benin, Togo, and Cote d’Ivoire.

The Deputy Director, CIE, Dr Oluwabunmi Niyi-Gafar, disclosed that the visit was in line with the SMART agenda of the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN.

D r Niyi-Gafar stated that the long visit of the four-man team comprising the Director of the Linguistic Immersion Centre, Prof. Badmas Olarenwaju Yusuf and his counterpart at the Centre for International Education, Prof. Lateef  Ibraheem, and their respective assistants, was undertaken between October 6 and  October 23, 2023.

According to her, the delegation, while at the Nigerian Embassies in the three countries, established collaborations between the University and the  embassies, and also met with various Community leaders as well as Nigerian community leaders in the visited countries.

“The University’s delegation also visited the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin Republic to strengthen the already existing collaboration with UNILORIN; the University of Lome, Togo Republic, and Universite Felix Houphouet Boigny, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to establish academic collaborations, which include activities such as staff/student exchange, joint research, publication and co-supervision of postgraduate studies”, she disclosed.

She stated that the meetings were very successful, adding that many prospective candidates expressed their interest in coming to the University of Ilorin for Immersion and undergraduate degree programmes.

The Deputy Director added that the host universities promised to further engage their community members in disseminating information about the University of Ilorin and the need for them to explore the opportunities offered by the nation’s most sought-after University. 

Dr Niyi-Gafar pointed out that the Director of the Centre for International Education, Prof. Lateef Ibraheem, and his team had on Thursday (October 12, 2023) received the Heads of Departments of Arabic and French to discuss collaboration on student exchange with the University of Abomey Calavi.

The meeting, which was held at the Centre’s Boardroom,  centered on ways to explore more areas of collaborations such as joint reviewing of departmental journals, supervision of projects, and partnering as an editorial team, to strengthen the relationship between the University of Ilorin and Abomey Calavi University, Benin Republic.

Dr Niyi-Gafar disclosed that the Director, who also advised the two Departments not to limit their collaborations with Abomey Calavi University, urged them to seek opportunities for collaboration with other universities to fulfill the University’s mission of internationalisation.