Publish or Perish?

Nigerian-born UK don canvasses more emphasis on quality publications

A Professor of African Studies at the King’s College, London, United Kingdom, Abiodun Alao, has urged the authorities of the various universities in Nigeria and the society at large to lay more emphasis on the quality and positive impacts of publications pushed out by academics rather than the shear number of such intellectual interventions.

Prof. Alao made the appeal penultimate Sunday (February 18, 2024) while presenting a paper titled “The Professors of Practice” at a reception in honour of a former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Osun State University, Osogbo, Mallam Yusuf Ola-Olu Ali, SAN, at the Vice Chancellor’s Lodge, University of Ilorin. 

The renowned scholar explained that what matters in scholarship and the general academic arena is quality and not quantity as he urged stakeholders to discontinue the practice of saying “Publish or Perish” and rather adopt and imbibe the idea of “Publish but of quality”.

Prof. Alao said that he has known highly distinguished scholars who made their names from just one single article such as Francis Fukuyama, who authored “The end of History”; Samuel Huntington, who published “The Clash of Civilisation”; Richard Kaplan, who wrote “The Coming Anarchy” and Nigeria’s Peter Ekeh, who earned global fame for his article on “The Two Publics” that was published in 1976.

He added that ‘‘the amount of intellectual rigour that went into the production of these single pieces is more than the hundred articles that some people are parading in the preposterous cycle of infantile scholarship’’.

Prof. Alao said that the too much emphasis placed on the number of publications pushed out by academics has pushed university academics to the harmful practice of publishing articles that are incapable of providing solutions to contemporary and future challenges.

He, therefore, urged academics to devote their intellect, energies and times to pursuing quality in terms of scholarly articles and not just publish to make numbers.

Speaking on the significance of the tittle of Professors of Practice, Prof. Alao said that it will introduce further quality into the academic profession, saying that those who would and should be given the appointments are those who have excelled not only in learning and character but also in the day-to-day practice of their various professions.

The foremost Professor of African Studies urged Nigerian universities to consider worthy professionals in different fields for appointment as Professors of Practice in such fields in order to promote quality learning and inculcation of know-how.

Prof. Alao said that for a person to be eligible for the position of  Professor of Practice, he must be of an impeccable character and should not have a past that can  bring the University’s reputation into disrepute.

He added that the appointee must have distinguished himself and must have made remarkable contributions towards the advancement of his profession.

Prof. Alao also added that the would-be appointee must possess a formal academic qualification in a specific field of learning and on which the appointment would be based.

Speaking on what is expected of Professors of Practice, Prof. Alao said that they are expected to help in the development and designing of courses and curriculum, introduction of new courses and deliver lectures based on institutional policies.

Professors of Practice, according to Prof. Alao, are also expected to encourage students in innovation and entrepreneurship projects and provide necessary mentorship for those activities as they are also expected to focus their attention towards enhancing industry-academia collaborations.

He  added that they are also expected to conduct jointly in collaboration with regular Faculty members of the institution, workshops, seminars, deliver special lectures and training programmes and also conduct joint research projects or consultancy services.

Prof. Alao opined that industries can sponsor the positions of Professors of Practice in universities to perform periodic obligations including but not limited to presentation of annual lectures.

To ensure efficiency, Prof. Alao said that the maximum duration to be given to an  holder of the position of Professor of Practice should not be more than three years, which can, however, be extended by a year in very exceptional circumstances. He urged that the total number of years of engagement should not be more than four years under any circumstance.