The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Education, Zaria, Prof. Yahaya Isa Bunkure, has called on the University Ranking Committee to drive strategic initiatives that will position the institution competitively among its peers in all aspects of global university rankings
.A statement from the university said Prof. Bunkure made the call while receiving members of the University Ranking Committee in his office, led by the Committee Chairman, Dr. David Onu.
He emphasized that the University must be visible and recognized globally, noting that the institution has a long history that predates many universities, even before its upgrade from a College of Education.
The Vice-Chancellor reiterated that the University has now come of age to strive to be among the best and urged the Committee to work assiduously towards enhancing the institution’s visibility, irrespective of its current ranking position.
He further encouraged the Committee to promote a culture of scholarly writing, publications, and peer-review engagement across the University community on reputable academic platforms such as Academia, Google Scholar, and other scholarly outlets, thereby making the University’s knowledge output more accessible to the global academic community.
Prof. Bunkure also directed that the use of official institutional email addresses be made mandatory for all staff, particularly academic staff, and tasked the Committee with encouraging the effective utilization of TETFund and other intervention opportunities for sponsorships and research development.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the University, among specialized universities of education, possesses significant capacity in terms of staff and student strength, as well as quality research output.
He disclosed that processes are underway for the promotion of 42 Chief Lecturers to the rank of Professor.“The University is moving fast, and if the current momentum is sustained, we will rank among the best, not only in Nigeria but globally,” he stated.
Introducing the Committee, the Chairman, Dr. David Onu, commended the Vice-Chancellor for his courage and foresight in initiating the University’s emerging drive to register with the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking, a renowned global ranking body.
He affirmed the Committee’s commitment to ensuring that this vision is realized and informed the Vice-Chancellor that during the period of the former College, its performance in the ADR ranking was favourable.
Dr. Onu suggested that Desk Officers be assigned across Faculties, while sensitization on profile creation and data uploading would be conducted by the University, emphasizing the need for the provision of necessary tools and support to facilitate the process of positioning the University competitively.
The Chairman further assured the Vice-Chancellor that the Committee is currently developing a standard template for harvesting institutional data for upload on the University website.
In his response, the Vice-Chancellor commended the Chairman for steering the activities of the Committee and advised members to broaden their scope by exploring other credible ranking platforms, emphasizing that Times Higher Education is only one of several recognized global ranking bodies.
The Committee also presented its proposed budget and a checklist of resources required to ensure smooth operations towards improved ranking and institutional recognition, such as improving campus connectivity and attracting international students into both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of the University. .
Members of the Committee present included Mal. Shehu Umar, Committee Secretary; Dr. Fadele Adeshina, Director, ICT; Dr. Tunde Adeshina, Director, Quality Assurance; Dr. Khalil Uthman, Director, University Advancement; Dr. Lawal Halilu, Dean, Postgraduate Studies; Dr. Ramatu Ahmed; and Mal. Umar Lawal
