The authorities of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, Nigeria and University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC), Missouri, United States of America have initiated talks on a bi-lateral memorandum of understanding and signing an agreement aimed at upping the research skills of OAUSTECH staff and enhancing the certification process of its students.
UMKC forwarded a memorandum of understanding to its Nigerian counterpart on Monday, 4 April, 2022 through its designated personnel, Prof. Jimmy Adegoke, Director, Laboratory for Environmental and Atmospheric Processes (LEAP), to facilitate OAUSTECH’s consideration and acceptance of the MOU following a meeting the UMKC agent recently held with high ranking OAUSTECH officials.
Counting on his international experience to uplift the University, OAUSTECH Vice-Chancellor, Prof Temi Emmanuel Ologunorisa invited his long-standing colleague at UMKC, Prof. Adegoke, to share experience with the University community in a public lecture with the aim of uplifting the institution last Monday, 4 April, 2022.
In an email to the Transfer and Agreement Project Manager in charge of Study Abroad and Global Engagement at UMKC, Dustin Dye, Prof. Adegoke wrote: “I am winding down my current overseas travel with a public lecture at OAUSTECH hosted by my good friend, Professor Temi Ologunorisa, who was recently appointed a Vice-Chancellor of this university.”
“Temi has a long association with UMKC through multiple visiting scholar residencies in my lab over the last 15 years. He, at one point, held an adjunct professor appointment in the department of geosciences (now Earth and Environment Sciences),” the professor of Geosciences warmly introduced OAUSTECH VC.
The LEAP Director also requested the Transfer and Agreement Project Manager to reach out to OAUSTECH to fast-track the collaboration, asking Dye to forward an MOU to OAUSTECH VC same day.
This was expected to open the door for more substantive deliberation about degree twinning possibilities and faculty mobility pathways between both institutions.
Seeing that the authorities of OAUSTECH, no doubt, were very eager to establish a partnership on STEM education and research with UMKC, Dye had immediately reached out to OAUSTECH to fast-track the partnership.
“It’s great to make acquaintance. I’ve attached a draft of an MOU with OAUSTECH for your review. If this draft is acceptable to you, please let me know the title of your point-person at OAUSTECH and the name and title of your signatory. At that point, I will seek my Provost’s signature. We would prefer to sign the MOU first,” Dye stated.
The upbeat OAUSTECH Vice-Chancellor has also indicated strong interest in the proposal.
According to him: “Many thanks for your email. We will get the MoU signed in few days’ time, so as to open up opportunity for a more elaborate discussion on our proposed area of collaboration in STEM education,” Prof. Ologunorisa remarked.
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