Nigerian, US Universities to get Joint Degree Programs
…As the US moves to forge academic partnerships with Nigerian universities.
No fewer than 30 Vice Chancellors of Nigerian universities were this week among deliberators at the inaugural Higher Education Conference, designed by the U.S. government in a bid to support initiatives that promote access to quality education and strengthen human capital for inclusive economic growth and development in Nigeria.
For the 2-day Landmark event, the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos mobilized key stakeholders to build long-term partnerships between U.S. and Nigerian institutions of higher education.
Apart from vice-chancellors from Nigeria’s federal, state, and private universities, deliberators included five U.S. higher education experts and representatives from the Nigeria Universities Commission, all of whose main goal was to build on the U.S. Mission’s commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen educational and cultural ties between Nigeria and the United States.
In his opening remarks, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Stephen Ibelli reiterated the U.S. Mission’s commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen educational and cultural ties between Nigeria and the United States while revealing that the overarching goal of the conference was to build on the longstanding U.S.-Nigeria educational ties by opening new frontiers of partnerships capable of enhancing the quality of learning, teaching, and research, as well as bolstering the global competitiveness of higher educational institutions in Nigeria.
“This is a giant step forward. Bringing U.S. and Nigerian universities closer together, exploring future partnerships, and discussing ideas for joint degrees with American experts, were great outcomes of the higher education conference,” he said.
No fewer than 31 Nigerian universities are already affiliated with the U.S. Mission on the Fulbright program,
which provides opportunities for Nigerian university students and faculty members to engage in collaborative research in U.S. institutions across various academic fields.
Nigeria has also received, in recent years, more than 30 scholarships annually for university scholars including Ph.D. candidates to travel to U.S. universities to conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared global challenges.
