The Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) is expected to hold it 28th Annual Conference at the Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Akure, between October 6 and10, 2003.
But the meeting won’t deliberate on the prolonged strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU, according to information.
The ASUU strike, which entered it 94th day (Thursday), had grounded academic activity in both federal and state owned universities without hope of students’ returning for lectures in a short while.
However, at a pre-conference press briefing by the host university (FUTA) on Wednesday, chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for AVCNU, Prof. Emmanuel Fasakin, noted that the on-going ASUU strike would not form part of the conference discussion and deliberation, stressing that the meeting of the erudite scholars and chief executives of Nigerian universities is only a peer review mechanism and an avenue for participants to come together to share knowledge.
While stressing the importance of the AVCNU annual conference, the LOC chairman stated that the association focused largely on effective networking of the Nigerian education sector through unbiased and impartial deliberations.
He said AVCNU also serves as an advocacy body for universities in the country in terms of needs and reforms to lift up the university system, and a platform to discuss modern trend in education to provide pragmatic approach.
Fasakin said the conference has the theme “The Nigerian University System & Challenges & Prospects of Globalisation”, stating that it would be delivered by Prof. James Momoh, while Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, will declare the conference open on Tuesday, October 8 and also deliver a special address at the conference.
Aside members of AVCNU, which comprises of vice-chancellors of all federal, state and private universities and their registrars, as participants, four other governors of Ekiti, Osun, Kogi and Bayelsa states; Kayode Fayemi, Rauf Aregbesola, Idris Wada and Seriake Dickson, respectively are to grace the occasion.