By: Tunde Olofintila
It was celebration and jubilation galore in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, over the weekend when the news filtered in that the 15-year-old university has won the “2024 Chinese Plus Digital & Intelligent Education Gold Medal Cooperative Institution” organized by China-Africa Investment FZC.
The cheering news was contained in a letter dated November 7, 2024, titled “Celebrating Excellence: Prestigious Honour for Commitment to China-Nigeria Educational Collaboration”, to the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde.
The Award ceremony comes up on November 17, 2024 during the three-day 2024 World Chinese Language Conference holding in Beijin, China, when Nigerians and other citizens of the world will crane their necks while some others will lower their gaze to catch a glimpse of ABUAD, the wave-making university that was recently ranked by the highly respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as No. 1 in the World in SDG 7, No. 1 in the World in Outreach with a score of 98%, No. 1 in the World in Stewardship with a score of 98.2%, No. 1 among all the 264 Federal, State, and Private universities in Nigeria for three consecutive years: 2022, 2023 and 2024.
According to the letter signed by Mr. Kevin Liu, the Deputy General Manager of the China-Africa Investment FZC, “The World Chinese Language Conference is a premier event in the field of global Chinese Education, bringing together distinguished Guests and Representatives from around the world”.
Liu added: “We are thrilled and proud to inform you that your esteemed university (ABUAD) will be awarded the “Chinese Plus Digital & Intelligent Education Gold Medal Cooperative Institution” at the upcoming 2024 World Chinese Language Conference in Beijin, China.
“This honour not only recognizes your university’s commitment to China-Nigeria Educational cooperation, but it also reflects our high expectations for the future. We hope that this recognition will further drive and support (our) joint industry-education initiatives between China and Nigeria (thereby) fostering deeper collaborations in Nigeria and laying a strong foundation for integration in education and industry between our nations”
Delving into the import of the Conference, Liu continued: “This year’s Conference is especially prestigious with the attendance of high-level leaders, including China’s Vice President and the Minister of Education who will deliver important addresses. Additionally, leaders in education from over 100 countries will gather to discuss the future direction of Chinese Language Education”.
Celebrating the cheering news in Ado-Ekiti, an elated Babalola said: “Today marks another milestone in the history of our university. We started well. We are doing very well, and we will continue to do well with the cooperation of all stakeholders including the students, the teachers, our dear parents who believe so much in us and of course the Regulatory Bodies such as the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Health, the NUC, the MDCN, the Council for Legal Education, NSE, COREN, CIBN and ICAN among several other Professional Bodies”.
Babalola, the former Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, expressed joy at the rare accomplishment, noting that this pleasant and encouraging news of additional feather to the university’s well-adorned hat of Awards will surely buoy and fast-track his (Babalola’s) dream and vision to reform functional education in this clime by providing and leading others in quality education, service, industry and character as well as discipline.
Equally, his vision of establishing “a world class education Centre of Excellence in Academics, characters, sport and vocational development in order to produce sound and agile professionals and produce leaders and achievers who would be self-reliant, kind, generous, considerate and sportsman-like” has crystallized into reality, particularly with the monumental developments in the university in the last 15 years during which the university has graduated 12 sets of students since its maiden Convocation on Sunday, October 21, 2013.
Also celebrating the rare feat, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde, said the Award is a further proof that ABUAD is indeed the No. 1 University in Nigeria as recently enunciated by the highly respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
According to her, this is the more heartwarming and commendable because it is coming from outside the country in appreciation of the qualities inherent in ABUAD.
Her words: “That this is coming from China-Africa Investment FZC now when we are still celebrating our ranking by the Times Higher Education Rankings if providential. It also shows the quality of education on offer in our frontline university. This will be good news for all parents and all our well-wishers”.
Olofintila, ABUAD’s Director, Corporate Affairs writes from Ado-Ekiti