Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, south east Nigeria, has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kigali Independent University (ULK), Rwanda, to strengthen academic collaboration, research, innovation and student exchange across Africa.
The agreement, signed virtually on Wednesday, establishes a framework for cooperation in teaching, research and academic exchanges across disciplines, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), education, humanities, management and the social sciences.
According to a statement by UNIZIK’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Alloysius Attah, the partnership is designed to promote academic, scientific and cultural cooperation while encouraging joint research to address emerging societal challenges.
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Under the agreement, the two institutions will jointly organise conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, symposia and professional training programmes.
They will also collaborate on research projects, curriculum development, scholarly publications and the exchange of scientific information.
The partnership provides for academic and administrative staff exchanges, undergraduate and postgraduate student mobility programmes, staff development initiatives, cultural exchange programmes and the joint supervision of master’s and doctoral research.
Both universities will appoint coordinators to oversee the implementation of the agreement and periodically review its progress.
The MoU also protects intellectual property arising from joint research and allows the institutions to seek internal and external funding for collaborative activities.
The agreement will run for an initial five years, with an option for renewal by mutual consent. It also provides mechanisms for dispute resolution and states that it does not create legally binding financial obligations for either institution.
Speaking during the virtual signing ceremony, UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, described the partnership as a significant step towards expanding research, innovation and academic collaboration across the continent.
The ceremony was attended by the university’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Alex Asigbo; Registrar, Dr Chinenye Gloria Okeke; University Librarian, Professor Jacinta Eze; and Director of International Collaboration and Linkages, Professor Charles Nwadigwe.
Kigali Independent University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Martins Onyekwelu Onuorah, signed the agreement on behalf of the Rwandan institution.
The partnership is part of UNIZIK’s internationalisation agenda aimed at strengthening global academic linkages, enhancing research and innovation, building institutional capacity and expanding international opportunities for staff and students.
