Czech, University of Ibadan to Partner on Development of Education Models

The Czech Republic has expressed its readiness to enter into bilateral agreement with the management of the University of Ibadan [UI], Ibadan, Nigeria, to evolve models that will engender development in various sectors, especially, in education in the West African countries.

The Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of Czech Republic in Nigeria, Mr. Martin Čech, and Prof. Jan Záhořík from the University of West Bohemia made this known during a colloquium organised by the Embassy in collaboration with the Premier University.

The colloquium, which took place in Trenchard Hall of the university had in attendance the Czech Republic; the Deputy Vice Chancellor [Administration], Professor Peter Olapegba; the Deputy Vice Chancellor [Academic], Prof. Aderonke Baiyeroju; the Registrar, Ganiyu Saliu; the University Librarian, Dr. Mercy Iroaganachi and the Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof. Temidayo Ogundiran.

Others were; the Dean of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Prof. Adejoke Akinyele; the Director, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies [IPSS], Prof. Ruth Adio-Moses, the Deputy Registrar in charge of the Directorate of Public Communication, Mrs. Adejoke Akinpelu; the Deputy Registrar in the VC’s Office, Mr. Oluwole Dada, and a host of others.

In his remarks, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Czech Embassy, Mr Čech, said the motivation for the programme was to birth mutually beneficially collaborations that would engender development. While saying the colloquium was apt, Cech said more discussions that would preserve diversity and strengthen development would be initiated.

On his part, Záhořík, who is a Professor of African Studies at the University of West Bohemia, said the education system and development models of Czech Republic could be transplanted into Nigeria.

He said: ‘’I am very happy to be here at this foremost university in Nigeria, if not even in West Africa. There are two things we intend to achieve with this. One of them is to continue with meaningful dialogues between the Czech Republic and Nigeria in terms of the roles we play in the changing global environment, which has shifted from a unipolar world to a multi-polar world and to see how we redesign and redefine our relationship.

“The second one, which is more academic, is to find out the main areas of collaboration in areas like engineering or social sciences and other fields. It is something we are going to explore in the nearest future, and apply for joint programmes for the capacity-building framework and to set up some academic collaborations which can be scientific, publication, research and academic exchange and mobility.”

Prof. Isaac Olawale Albert as well as Prof. Francis Egbokhare of UI, who were resource persons at the colloquium, said Nigeria could learn a lot from the Czech Republic.

Albert, a globally-renowned scholar, said the colloquium was to forge partnerships between Nigeria and the Czech Republic and learn from its development models for sustainable development.

Albert said: ‘’The Czech Republic has 99 per cent literacy rate. It has $326 billion Gross Domestic Product [GDP]. I am fascinated with this country. We want to understand the philosophy behind what they are doing. This is a country to learn from. We need new development strategies. Our thinking of development must change. We are looking for new ideas. We need a development model that is different from what we have now. The model must be the one that will produce results for the development of Nigeria. We need to produce scholars that would contribute to national development.

“The world is tired of the old relationships and looking for new relationships. We have problems to solve. To what extent are we adjusting our education to the problems? If you want to strengthen a system, you must invest more resources in the education of the system.”

On his part, Prof. Egbokhare, a towering literary icon, said there is a lot to learn from the Czech Republic. The professor, who said the informal sector is the biggest in the country, called on the European country to look into the sector for a sustainable relationship.

Also speaking, Prof. Olatunji Oyeshile of the Department of Philosophy, who facilitated the event, urged Nigeria to learn the Czech Republic’s example by looking inward rather than looking elsewhere.

‘’The country looks inward; the law works there. They don’t have energy crises. Education must be in line with our needs. Let us have something developed within our culture and take it to the whole world. Let us think in that direction. This is one of the things we have to learn from the Czech Republic,” Oyeshile said.

Earlier, while declaring the colloquium opened, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) of the university, Prof. Olapegba said no entity could be an island unto itself.

DVC said: “You will have to look for people or entities to collaborate with. If you want to go very fast, go alone, but then if you want to go very far, then go with others. This is the reason for creating this platform with the Czech Republic so that there can be discussions on issues of mutual benefit and how people can overcome challenges.”