Dr E I Onyishi Grant for Faculty Members to participate in the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR)

I am happy to announce that Dr E .I .Onyishi, a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology has instituted an annual grant worth N100, 000.00 for two members of the faculty to participate each year in the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) based in Nairobi Kenya.

The Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) is an independent, nonpartisan pan-African not-for-profit organization located in Nairobi, Kenya. Currently engaged in more than 12 African countries, PASGR works to enhance research excellence in governance and public policy that contributes to the overall wellbeing of women and men. In partnership with individual academics and researchers, higher education institutions, research think tanks, civil society organizations, business and policy communities both in the region and internationally, PASGR supports the production and dissemination of policy relevant research; designs and delivers suites of short professional development courses for researchers and policy actors; and facilitates the development of collaborative higher education programmes.

PASGR annually organizes courses relevant to African PhD students, academics and researchers interested in enhancing their skills in the design of research that lends itself to a multi-method approach relevant to social policy and/or governance. The training uses the participant’s own research and small group work to explore multi-method research that engages public policy.

The call for application is usually announced about the middle of the year and the courses hold around November every year for a period of two weeks. PASGR usually covers the cost of course registration and materials, accommodation, breakfast and lunch but expects participants to pay for expenses relating to transportation.

Eligibility: The grant is for members of faculty who have applicant have been selected by PASGR to attend the programme.  In case we have many qualified applicants, preference would be given to junior members of the faculty (in terms of rank)

I thank Dr Onyishi for his magnanimity and urge the faculty members to make maximum use of this opportunity.

Prof Ignatius A. Madu

Dean

 

 

The Faculty of the Social Sciences University of Nigeria Nsukka organized an   international conference  on the theme harnessing diversity for sustainable development from 21-22NDOCTOBER, 2015 at the Faculty Lecture Theatre The keynote titled  Ex pluribus fit progressus: Harnessing Diversities for Sustainable Development by Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu of the Institute of Development Studies UNEC . The event was reported by Choice Alika of PRO’s Unit, UNN.

THE REPORT

Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu has explained that diversity is not an obstacle to sustainable development, but could rather be its facilitator.

He made these remark at the Faculty of Social Science International Conference titled ‘’Harnessing Diversity for Sustainable Development’’.

Prof. Ibeanu who was the keynote speaker explicated that, sustainable development may be seen as developing without endangering development, because of its dialectical character, it assumes diversity of endowment in both society and nature.

According to him, sustainable development is a dialectical process, in which the diverse materials and natural endowments of a society are used in a manner that ensures that present human consumption does not undermine the long-term needs of society and the capacity of the bio-physical environment to meet them.

He opined that sustainable development can be conceptualized as three interlocking rings such as Economy, Culture, and environment.

 Prof. Ibeanu stressed that the  interaction between the economy and culture, portrays the resource assess of sustainable development, which in contemporary times easily made the market the most important instrument for defining resource, implying that the extent the market guarantees access to resources to the largest number of people becomes the main issue of sustainable development.

Further, Prof. Ibeanu affirmed that the interaction between the environment and economy, explains that technology ensures responsible and efficient exploitation of nature.

Also, he briefed that the link between culture and environment depicts the fact that sustainable development deals with harnessing diverse social endowments such as knowledge, attitudes and practices of different culture, to certify that the present use of natural resources does not undermine future needs.

 The Vice-Chancellor, UNN, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba who declared the event opened, revealed that the administration and the nation awaits the contributions and resolution of the conference in translating and harnessing the heritage ‘’Diversity’’, into useful tools towards providing an enduring sustainable development within the University, and the world as a whole.

The Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Ignatius Madu said that the conference was aimed at developing recommendations and strategies towards effective harnessing of cultural and social diversities for sustainable development.

He further said that the conference was also targeted at fostering and creating awareness, and appreciation of the importance of diversity to sustainable development. He mentioned that diversity refers to the internal differences within a Nation-state and reflects variations in factors such as race, class, ethnicity, religion, language and gender.

Prof Madu, cited Nigeria as an instance with an estimated population of 181 million in 2015, ranked first in Africa and seventh in the world with about 371 tribes though with three dominant ones such as Hausa, Yoruba and igbo. Hence, if her diversity was properly harnessed, it would propel the Nation’s development to a great height.

Choice Alika