Follow Us on Google
From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof Simon Ortuanya, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding the University’s global partnerships as Assistant Professor Yusuf Wara Abubakar, a visiting Erasmus+ Mobility Scholar from Kastamonu University, Türkiye, pledged to facilitate broader academic collaboration between UNN and universities across Türkiye.
Speaking while receiving the visiting scholar at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Prof Ortuanya described internationalization as a strategic imperative for positioning UNN as a globally competitive institution.
He said the University would continue to leverage international partnerships to strengthen research excellence, academic innovation, staff and student mobility, and global visibility.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that collaborations with leading international institutions remain critical to building globally relevant scholarship, enhancing institutional capacity, attracting competitive research funding, and producing graduates equipped for an increasingly interconnected world.
Responding, Assistant Professor Abubakar commended Professor Ortuanya’s leadership and the University’s deliberate investment in international engagement.
He pledged to facilitate stronger institutional linkages between UNN and universities in Türkiye through expanded staff and student exchange programmes, collaborative research, joint publications, capacity-building initiatives, and access to international funding opportunities.
The commitment followed a five-day Erasmus+ Mobility Programme held from 13 to 17 July 2026, coordinated by the Directorate of International Collaborations, led by its Acting Director, Dr. Kelechi Elijah Nnamani, in collaboration with the Faculty of the Social Sciences, under the Dean, Prof Chidi Nzeadibe, and the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy, headed by Prof Peter Mbah.
The programme brought together academics, researchers, students, and policy experts for a series of lectures, research dialogues, mentoring sessions, and interdisciplinary engagements designed to deepen scholarly exchange and strengthen international academic cooperation.
A major highlight was a lecture delivered by Assistant Professor Abubakar on “Turkish Foreign Policy in Africa: Geopolitics and Geostrategy”, which examined Türkiye’s evolving engagement with Africa and explored emerging opportunities for diplomatic, economic, and academic collaboration. Faculty engagements also focused on joint research, collaborative publications, interdisciplinary scholarship, and international grant opportunities, while students participated in sessions on academic mentoring, intercultural competence, and global mobility pathways.
The programme culminated in a hybrid public lecture on “Climate Change and Africa’s Future: Challenges and Prospects”, chaired by Prof Nzeadibe, with a lead presentation by Mr. Samuel Okechi Okafor. The event stimulated robust discussions on climate governance, environmental security, sustainable development, and evidence-based policy responses to Africa’s environmental challenges.
At the conclusion of the programme, Assistant Professor Abubakar paid a separate courtesy visit to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Michael Onyia, alongside senior academics of the University, including the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Chidi T. Nzeadibe; the Head of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy, Professor Peter Mbah; Mr. Samuel Okechi Okafor; Professor Freedom Onuoha; Professor Raymond Adibe; Dr. Ruth Ngoka; and Dr. Eberechukwu Ezea.
The engagement provided an opportunity for discussions on consolidating the gains of the Erasmus+ exchange and identifying practical pathways for expanding academic cooperation between the University of Nigeria and higher education institutions in Türkiye.
The Erasmus+ Mobility Programme is expected to open new frontiers for academic diplomacy between Nigeria and Türkiye, reinforcing the University of Nigeria’s growing reputation as a leading African institution committed to global partnerships, research excellence, and internationalization.
