KASU Hosts Workshop to Strengthen Theses and Dissertation Supervision for Academic Staff
Kaduna State University (KASU), through its College of Communication, Management, and Social Sciences (CCM&SS), organized a two-day workshop on theses and dissertation supervision for academic staff from March 19 to 20, 2025.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
Kaduna State University (KASU), through its College of Communication, Management, and Social Sciences (CCM&SS), has successfully organized a two-day workshop aimed at enhancing theses and dissertation supervision for academic staff. The event, held from March 19 to 20, 2025, was designed to equip lecturers from the rank of Lecturer II and above with best practices for guiding postgraduate students effectively.
The workshop was declared open by the Provost of CCM&SS, Prof. Gimba V. Kyari, who described it as a pioneering initiative to improve research supervision at the university. He encouraged participants to embrace innovative ideas that could enhance academic mentorship.
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Prof. Abdullahi I. Musa, commended the initiative and reaffirmed his confidence in the faculty’s dedication to academic excellence. He emphasized the principles of learning, unlearning, and relearning as critical to academic growth. Prof. Musa also differentiated between supervision and mentorship, stating that while both are essential, mentorship demands deeper academic engagement beyond guiding students through research. He urged lecturers to develop a clear research focus, stressing that a strong research project should begin with identifying a research problem rather than merely selecting a topic.
Further insights were provided by the Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), Prof. Sadiq Abdu Garba, who highlighted the significance of effective supervisor-supervisee communication, structured feedback, and proper documentation to enhance research outcomes.
Dr. Stephen James, Director of the Institute for Science, Technology, and Management Studies (ISTMS), underscored the importance of structuring research effectively. He advised participants to develop a table of contents, a work plan, and a strong thesis statement while leveraging technology for supervision.
Similarly, Dr. Rahilatu Muhammad, Dean of the Faculty of Management Science, guided participants on structuring research, thesis chapters, and ensuring the relevance of their studies. She also emphasized the need for scholars to differentiate and justify their research contributions.
Key discussions at the workshop revolved around:
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The importance of mutual selection between supervisors and students for academic productivity.
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Establishing structured feedback mechanisms with scheduled meetings to foster effective communication.
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Ensuring plagiarism prevention and academic integrity through proper citation and originality.
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Adopting ethical supervision practices to create a positive research environment.
The workshop concluded with an interactive session where participants discussed research challenges and shared best supervision practices. The event reinforced KASU’s commitment to maintaining global supervision standards and promoting a student-centered approach to postgraduate research. With these principles in place, lecturers at KASU are expected to enhance research quality, ultimately contributing to the university’s academic excellence.
