DEAN’S STATEMENT

The Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Nigeria, is a foremost Faculty and one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. The Faculty comprises nine (9) departments and a unit known as the Combined Social Sciences Unit. They are the Departments of Economics, Geography, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion and Cultural Studies, Sociology and Anthropology, and Social Work. It has over twelve thousand (12,000) students and four hundred and twenty (420) academic staff. Presently, the academic staff that are in professorial cadre is above fifty (50) in number.

Apart from its numerical strength, the Faculty has been playing a leading role not only in the University but in the country and the global academic community as a whole. It is therefore not surprising that the Faculty has over the years, produced a number of world-renowned academics and policy makers. No doubt, the Faculty of the Social Sciences has carved a niche for itself in research and publication. Recently, the Faculty was ranked among the Best Faculty of the Social Sciences in the world as a result of the quality of its researchers and research output. Moreover, the academic staff of the Faculty have continued to contribute to this drive for global competitiveness and visibility of the university through their productive international collaborations and research outputs. The Faculty also has a number of Alexander von Humboldt and Fulbright Fellows. Several other staff of the Social Sciences faculty are currently undergoing doctoral and post-doctoral training in South Africa, the UK, Germany, the United States, Kenya, and several other countries. This, no doubt, will contribute remarkably to building the critical mass of expertise in the Faculty to effectively tackle 21st century sustainability and research challenges while also having trickle down effects on the quality of teaching and learning in the Faculty.

The Faculty of the Social Sciences is also collaborating with CLEEN Foundation and United Nations agencies such as UNICEF and UNESCO in organising conferences and workshops and in mounting postgraduate programmes in Social Policy. The Faculty has also formed several research groups, and a Centre of Excellence on Research, Proposal Writing, and Publications will soon be established, and in the long run, the Faculty shall establish an institute to drive research, creativity, and development. The Faculty is therefore living up to the expectation; thanks to the quality and commitment of our staff. You are therefore invited on board to share in these positive developments. Indeed, we shall make all things new in our great Faculty of peace, brotherhood, and collegiality.

 

 Professor Ike Ernest Onyishi

Dean, Faculty of the Social Sciences

ernest.onyishi@unn.edu.ng