WILBERFORCE, OH—Over the next four years,academics and researchers from Nigeria seeking to enhance grant writing skills will attend week-long capacity building workshops at Central State University’s (CSU) newly established Cynthia Jackson-Hammond Institute for Professional Development.
The Institute, housed within the College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture (CESTA), is named after Central State’s outgoing president, and will serve as an international leadership and professional development center. Through this collaboration with the Nigerian government, Central State University will officially begin training leaders on a global scale.
The first Capacity Building (CB) workshop is scheduled for Feb. 24-28, at the CSU’s Xenia facility, located at the Xenia YMCA, 336 Progress Dr, Xenia, OH 45385.
“This conference was organized for Research Academics in Nigerian Public Universities,” said Dr. Ibrahim Katampe, conference organizer and assistant director of Innovation and Technology Transfer for CESTA at Central State University. “The February event is the first of many that will take place over the course of the next four years and was designed specifically to train academicians in Nigerian Higher Educational Institutions (HEI’s) with current knowledge and skill required to write a fundable research proposal that meets international standards.”
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was established by the Nigerian government as an intervention agency under the TETFund ACT – Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act, 2011.
The TETFund monies provide for the essential physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, instructional material and equipment, research and publication, academic staff training and development, and any other need that may be deemed critical and/or essential for the improvement of quality and maintenance of standards in the higher educational institutions.
Under its mandate of Research and Academic Staff Training and Development, a sub-committee of the TETFund was set up in May 2019. This committee was tasked with developing a framework for the strengthening and institutionalization of Research and Development in Tertiary Institutions in Nigerian Universities.
Co-chaired by Professors Placid Njoku and Tope Togunof Nigeria, along with Dr. Ibrahim Katampe serving as vice-chair, the committee developed a plan and made recommendations to Professor Suleiman Bogoro, Executive Secretary of the TETFund.
In June, Professor Bogoro and members of the committee, paid a visit to the U.S. as part of a global assessment of “best practices.” Stops included meetings with officials of the U.S. State Department, the National Science Foundation (NSF), GE Global Research Talent Center in New York, and Central State—an 1890 Land-Grant University.
“It was during that visit we began discussing the possibility of collaboration,” Dr. Katampe said. “Prof. Bogoro and the committee were warmly welcomed by President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, Provost Pedro Martinez, and CSU CESTA Dean and Land-Grant Director Dr. Alton B. Johnson, they immediately welcomed the idea; and this partnership is a direct result of that initial conversation.”
Dr. Jackson-Hammond has been an ardent supporter of international engagement and is especially committed to partnerships with Nigeria. “This opportunity to support the TETFund program allows us to integrate Central State University’s scholarship and professional development with Nigeria’s influential and brightest minds,” said Dr. Hammond. “We are honored to be partners in this global expansion of connectivity.”
According to the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria presently has 43 Federal Universities, 48 State Universities, and 79 Private Universities. About 120 Polytechnics and Colleges of Agriculture. There are 82Colleges of Education in Nigeria, consisting of 22 federal, 14 private and 46 that are collectively referred to as HEIs. The five-day workshop developed by CSU is designed to support TETFund in its Capacity Building Program (CBP) for enhancement of research activities in the Nigerian HEIs.
“This involves delivery of high-quality training in academic writing, research proposal writing and research management skills that meets international standards in research design, conduct, and management,” said Dean Johnson. The course content will be designed and delivered by highly experienced staff of Central State University.”
To learn more about the conference or the Cynthia Jackson-Hammond Institute for Professional Development, contact CESTA at 937-376-6677 or visit centralstate.edu online.
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About Central State University
Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, is a regionally accredited 1890 Land-Grant University with a 133-year tradition of preparing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences for leadership, research, and service. The university, which was named 2017 HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest, fosters academic excellence within a nurturing environment and provides a strong liberal arts foundation and STEM-Ag curriculum leading to professional careers and advanced studies globally.
Central State University, an 1890 Land-Grant Institution, is committed to the full inclusion of all people, and does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, marital or family status, military status, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. If reasonable accommodations are needed, please contact the Department of Human Resources at 937-376-6540. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.
