Campus News

Egbewole recommends ‘Glocalisation’ for African varsities

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has urged African universities not to restrict their internationalisation drive to the global south only but to also endeavour to create local partnerships which will ensure the continent’s progress.

Prof. Egbewole gave the advice in Ghana last Friday (November 1, 2024) while delivering a keynote address at the opening of the first International Partners’ Week Celebration (iPart Week 2024), organised by the University of Cape Coast (UCC), on the theme, “Re-examining Our Historical Identity Within the Context of Internationalisation of Higher Education.”

The event, which was attended by international partners from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, aimed at strengthening existing partnerships with global universities, build new connections, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and collaborations on an international scale.

Prof.  Egbewole, who is also the Secretary General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU), noted that the whole concept of internationalisation was not an African thing but a global phenomenon, saying, “Though institutions of higher learning should think globally, there should be an urge to act locally.

He said, “I propose Glocalisation, which is to think globally and act locally, as a way to ensure continuous internationalisation among all people on the globe.”

While charging African universities to be circumspect when signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to ensure a win-win situation, Prof. Egbewole encouraged governments of African countries to create a framework that would facilitate visa applications for researchers to reduce the hustle of studying abroad.

The UNILORIN Vice Chancellor also called on African  governments to take a conscious and deliberate position on internationalisation while admitting that “Brain drain is not bad in itself because it has positive values for internationalisation”.

Prof. Egbewole encouraged curriculum development and regional collaboration and asked for policy on internationalisation for African countries.

Another Keynote Speaker, the President of Laweh Open University, Prof Goski Alabi, who spoke on the topic, “Emerging Trends in Students and Staff Mobility”, indicated that African universities have not been intentional and strategic about internationalisation as compared to the rest of the World. As a result, she asked for measures to reposition internationalisation to support African universities in addressing some of the perennial challenges of access, quality, and low capacities for research and also bring about new research and knowledge paradigms.

She mentioned increased mobility, global curriculum and intercultural competence, technological learning platforms, global rankings and competitions, and language and communication skills, as some of the trends in internationalisation.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the function, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, said the 1st International Partners’ Week Celebration was proof of the commitment of UCC to foster internationalisation and ensure a continued relationship with the partner universities.

He acknowledged the representatives of partner universities present at the occasion and added, “Your presence is not just a testament to our shared objectives, but also a crucial step towards strengthening our internationalisation agenda”.

Highlights of the event include presentations by international students of UCC that thrilled the audience with a flag-hoisting performance with recitals about the participating countries.