Redeemer's University Hosts Committee Of Provosts And Deans Of Postgraduate Colleges

Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, on Monday hosted the 68th Meeting of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools (CPDPGCS) in Nigerian Universities.

The meeting, themed "Rebuilding Academic Integrity in Nigerian Postgraduate Education: Governance, Innovation, and Sustainable Institutional Reform," brought together renowned academics and administrators to examine challenges confronting postgraduate education in the country.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, described academic integrity as a major challenge threatening the credibility of postgraduate qualifications awarded by Nigerian universities.

Ogundipe identified contract writing, fabrication of research findings, questionable journal publications and the misuse of artificial intelligence as some of the practices undermining academic standards.

He noted that pressure on postgraduate students to complete their research often encouraged shortcuts, thereby compromising the quality and originality of academic work.

The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos stressed that universities could no longer depend solely on plagiarism detection software to guarantee academic integrity, saying effective institutional policies and proper supervision were equally important.

"Integrity cannot be compromised into existence. Universities must establish effective mechanisms to monitor research activities and ensure that postgraduate students produce original academic work," he said.

Prof. Ogundipe also expressed concern over poor supervision practices, particularly lecturers accepting more doctoral candidates than they could effectively guide.

According to him, supervisors must maintain regular contact with their students, provide clear research directions and ensure that candidates receive adequate academic guidance.

"If you have a PhD student that stays with you for more than five years, there's a problem majorly with the supervisor," he added.

To address the challenges, Ogundipe proposed mandatory research ethics training, formal supervision agreements, clear guidelines on the use of generative artificial intelligence, regular similarity checks and confidential reporting channels.

He said the measures would help universities strengthen research accountability and protect the credibility of their postgraduate programmes

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer's University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, described postgraduate education as central to research, innovation and the development of skilled manpower.

Prof. Akindele urged Nigerian universities to place greater emphasis on research quality rather than merely pursuing increased postgraduate enrolment.

He stressed the need for institutions to create an academic environment that promotes credible research, innovation and the production of knowledge capable of addressing societal challenges.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities, Prof. Victor Samson Dunga, called for increased government funding of postgraduate research and stronger institutional support for graduate schools.

Prof. Dunga warned that inadequate investment in postgraduate education could leave Nigeria increasingly dependent on foreign expertise and externally developed research solutions.

He emphasised the need for greater commitment to postgraduate research as a means of strengthening the country's academic capacity and advancing national development.