Essential university facilities are crucial for successful academic instruction, according to Prof. Okuneye.
Professor Rafiu Okuneye, a distinguished university lecturer and professor of Physiology Education, recently delivered the maiden lecture of the Faculty of Education at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo. The lecture, titled "Fostering Academic Culture Towards University Greatness", marked the beginning of a new tradition in the faculty platform for intellectual and academic inspiration and scholarly excellence.
During his lecture, Professor Okuneye emphasized the importance of adequate teaching facilities and equipment for effective teaching and quality research in universities. He underscored that a robust academic culture, indispensable to a university's sustained excellence, is characterized by qualifications, rules of operations, recognition of standards, discipline, academic freedom, dignity, seniority, scholarship, and a parallel atmosphere that characterizes life on campus.
The professor further highlighted that universities have a primary function of serving as an instrument for the well-being agenda, helping to reduce poverty, disease, and improve agricultural produce and industrialization. He appealed to government officials, university administration, faculty members, and community leaders as stakeholders for support as partners for progress and to establish the necessary environment for staff and students of the Faculty of Education at Lagos State University.
The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatuji-Bello, commended the lecture series by the Faculty of Education, stating that it keeps the university focused on its mission to make LASU the best university in West Africa with the highest and finest level of academic and research standards. The VC said that the initiative signalled a new tradition of intellectual engagement, knowledge sharing, and scholarly excellence.
Professor Okuneye also urged universities to promote research and scholarly activities to foster and sustain a robust academic culture. He urged stakeholders, alumni, and friends of the faculty to rise and act as partners in progress. The faculty continues to grapple with inadequate facilities for lectures, offices, and laboratories that should support innovative teaching and research.
In conclusion, the maiden lecture by Professor Okuneye served as a catalyst for intellectual discourse and academic excellence within the Faculty of Education at LASU. The lecture series is set to become a regular event, fostering an environment conducive to academic growth and development, ultimately propelling the university towards greatness.
