The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has implemented a new policy stating that all staff members must be registered members of a professional body. This requirement is now compulsory for staff to continue holding positions within the university. The university further emphasized that staff members who are not registered members of a professional association will no longer be eligible for promotion.
Additionally, the university announced that professors who do not engage in international conferences or workshops for research will be prevented from advancing in their positions. These professors will also be barred from supervising postgraduate students at ESUT.
The Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Aloysius M. Okolie, expressed concern over lecturers who cease their research activities once they become professors. He stressed that academic conferences and workshops provide an opportunity for intellectual growth, career review, and interaction with colleagues. Okolie called on deans to prioritize intellectual growth and affirmed that any dean who lacks academic consciousness will be removed from their position.
The chairman of the conference, Dr. Jeff Nnamani, highlighted the lack of professionalism in Nigerian society and noted that the conference’s theme called for deeper consideration. He also identified insufficient funding as a major challenge in university education and research, emphasizing that university funding should not be reliant on external support.
The host of the conference and Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Sam Ugwu, emphasized the importance of teaching and research in university education. He stated that research serves as a vital tool for redefining societal directions when its outcomes are effectively utilized. The conference aimed to address concerns about the quality of postgraduate theses and dissertations, which have failed to meet national and global standards in recent years.
