Varsity VC tells post-graduate students to be problem solvers

Prof. Olurotimi Ajayi, VC Crawford University.

“The capacity to identify critical problems of our society and to provide cutting-edge solutions through research output is the key required to national success,” a said on Saturday.

The Vice-Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun, Prof. Olurotimi Ajayi, made the submission on Saturday at the 12th matriculation ceremony of the institution.

Ajayi, addressing the matriculating postgraduate students, said that postgraduate studies should lay emphasis on identifying the needs of the society with a view to proffering solutions.

“To the postgraduate students, I will like to restate that postgraduate study is not a tea party. It is the hallmark of academic pursuit in the university system worldwide.

“It requires much efforts, hard work and dedication because the goal is to turn researchers into high-calibre manpower critically and also turnaround local, national and global industries.

“It is also meant to identify and solve societal problems, create jobs and eradicate poverty; and of course, to equip you with international best practices.

“Postgraduate studies enables skills that will make a man become what he wants to become,’’ he said.

Ajayi said that postgraduate studies were purely research exercises meant to lift the society and proffer solutions to challenging circumstances in every sphere of man.

“Postgraduate study is research-oriented and every research is problem-driven. Capacity to identify critical problems of our society and provide cutting-edge solutions.

“Postgraduate training in Crawford University is designed to turn students into solution providers to societal problems.

“There is no other better way of becoming happy, comfortable and wealthy in life than being a solution to people’s problems.

“Your skills and talents will be demanded and sought after by society and you will have a rewarding life experience,’’ he said.

Ajayi said that Nigerian society is plagued by a myriad of problems and challenges that require optimal solutions.

“I urge the postgraduate students to use their research work to solve clearly identified problems of the Nigerian society.

“The research work should lead to original contribution to knowledge and not involve objectionable duplication.

“Originality is the basic credit point of any research. Therefore, your actual investigation must be directed towards obtaining novel results.

“A researcher should develop new ideas and obtain deep insight into the problem being investigated in order to get novel results which are the hallmark of a good research work,’’ he said.

Ajayi quoting the physics Nobel laureate Ernst Lawrence in scientific work said: “Creative thinking demands seeing things not seen previously or in a way not previously imagined.

“This necessitates jumping off from normal positions and taking risks by departing from reality,’’ he said.

457 students were matriculated with College of Business and Social Sciences having 235 students, College of Natural and Applied Sciences 105 students.

Also matriculated were 27 from the Postgraduate school and 90 students for Part-Time studies.