The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi has reiterated her administration's commitment to fostering mutually benefiting collaborations with other universities and allied institutions/organizations.

Prof. Obi made the commitment when the President and members of the New York African Studies Association (NYASA) paid her a courtesy visit in her office recently.

Responding to an earlier remark by the president of NYASA, the University Administrator expressed her joy at the choice of the Institution as host for the forthcoming NYASA Conference scheduled for later in June 2023, describing the gesture as a show of commitment to the course of putting the university on the world stage.

Prof. Obi especially expressed her hope that the conference would engender the beginning of greater collaborations, opening up new vistas of a network of mutual benefits.

 

The University Helmsman used the opportunity to urge the President of NYASA to link up with as many of his colleagues in the diaspora as possible with a view to encouraging them to always seek ways of institutionalizing collaborative research.

While x-raying the many benefits of forming collaborating teams between universities to access research grants, the Vice Chancellor said such collaborations will immensely improve the capacity of both staff and students.

 

On the proposed conferment of an award on her, Prof. Obi who gave her consent in principle said she considers it an honour not to be taken lightly and thanked the leadership of NYASA for the recognition, even as she pledged the University's readiness to ensure NYASA stages a very successful conference, especially, the pre-conference workshop on research grant writing which she described as very apt and timely.

In an earlier remark, the President of the New York African Studies Association, Rev Fr. (Prof.) Bekeh Ukelina said NYASA as an association had been in existence for over fifty years, adding that, in his pre-election speech, he asserted one of his plans is to ensure that the conference is held in an African nation.

To this end, the Professor of History and African Studies, State University of New York, Cortland said he was excited to be in the University of Calabar to hold the NYASA conference which will have over sixty members of the Body from all over the world in attendance, excluding participants within.

The revered clergy who described the 3/4 days of the workshop as a period of seed planting, stressed that his institution is open to further exchange programmes and that his goal is to ensure many more academics have access to research grants where possible.

He used the occasion to inform the Vice Chancellor of the Body's desire to confer an award on her, noting that such awards have in times past been conferred on the likes of the late renowned novelist Prof. Chinua Achebe and more recently, his daughter.

Similarly, the Director of External Relations and Partnership, Unical, Prof. Peter Okafor said NYASA was in the Institution to host her 46th Conference, adding that, this will be the first time any Conference of NYASA will be held in an African country.

The Indefatigable Director while highlighting some of the areas he thinks the University can be of assistance for a successful hosting of the NYASA International Conference, hinted that there will be an interactive pre-conference workshop with academics and Post-Graduate students which will focus on research grant writing.

The Director used the occasion to call on academics and all postgraduate students to avail themselves of the opportunity as the pre-conference workshop will be completely free.

The team was comprised of members of the conference's local organizing committee including; Dr Tokie Laotan-Brown, a Heritage Architect and EC Member, NYASA; Dr Blessing Ntamu of the Department of Edu. Foundation, Unical; Dr Alexander Ikeuba of the Department of Pure/Applied Chemistry, Unical and the Director, ICT, Unical, Dr Edmund Essien.