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A lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Dr. Zainab Yaqub, has been selected for the Empowering the Teachers (ETT) Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States.
The fellowship programme, launched in 2013, is a collaboration between MIT, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), and TotalEnergies. It is designed to improve the quality of teaching and learning of science and engineering in Nigerian universities by exposing fellows to MIT’s innovative teaching methods, with the aim of producing industry-ready graduates.
Dr. Yaqub joins five other Nigerian lecturers who were selected for the Fall 2025 cohort of the fellowship, which will run from September to December 2025.
Earlier this year, five lecturers participated in the spring cohort, held between February and May.
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Under the ETT programme, fellows spend one intensive semester at MIT, where they observe at least two classes in disciplines similar to their own, develop new curriculum materials and teaching approaches for their home institutions, and participate in weekly seminars on curriculum design, online teaching, and problem-solving.
Reacting to her selection, Dr. Yaqub, who is already at MIT described the fellowship as both a privilege and an opportunity to contribute to the advancement of engineering education in Nigeria.
“I am honoured to have been selected for the ETT fellowship at MIT. This opportunity means a lot to me, not just as a lecturer but as someone committed to nurturing a new generation of engineers who are innovative, skilled, and industry-ready.
“I look forward to learning from MIT’s world-class teaching methods and applying the knowledge to improve curriculum delivery at my department. I appreciate the fellowship sponsors, as well as the management of the University of Ilorin, for granting me the permission to participate in this fellowship,” she said.
