By: Tunde Olofintila
Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, recently ranked by Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as No. University 1 in Nigeria for four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 and among the Best 100 Universities in the world, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Georgea, USA, to enhance Academic, Research, Professional and institutional collaborations.
Other carrots embedded in the MoU include staff mobility, students exchange, Conferences, Seminars as well as joint grant initiatives between the two universities, particularly with ABUAD’s College of Social & Management Sciences and other relevant Faculties, Institutes and Departments within the University of Georgea.
The MoU which was signed by Prof. David Olali of the University of Georgea and ABUAD’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, underscored and acknowledged the mutual benefits derivable to both parties from staff mobility, student exchange, collaborative research, Conferences, Seminars, and joint grant initiatives.
Under the MoU, ABUAD and University of Georgea agreed to work together in the following areas and under the following terms: Staff exchange and Faculty mobility which involves exchange of academic and administrative staff for teaching, research, curriculum development, professional training, short-term visiting professorships, sabbaticals, fellowships, and collaborative mentorship programmes, joint supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students and capacity-building initiatives for early-career scholars and researchers.
Student exchange and study abroad Programmes which involve undergraduate and postgraduate student exchange programmes, semester-abroad and short-term academic immersion opportunities, internship placements, field schools, and experiential learning engagements and collaborative summer schools & leadership development programmes.
Research Collaboration. This involves ioint interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research projects, collaborative publications in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, development of research clusters focusing on Africa, governance, indigenous knowledge systems, security studies, migration, sustainable development, digital humanities, entrepreneurship, public policy, and social transformation and shared access, where applicable, to research facilities, data resources, and academic materials.
Grant Application and Research Funding Collaboration. Under this, the two universities will explore join application for international research grants, fellowships, endowments, and donor-funded projects, collaboration on proposals to foundations, development agencies, governmental and multilateral organizations, establishment of collaborative research centres, innovation hubs, and policy laboratories and training workshops on grant writing, research management, and academic publishing.
Conferences, Seminars and Academic Events involving participation of faculty members and researchers in conferences, seminars, workshops, colloquia, symposiums, and public lectures organized by either institution, co-hosting of international conferences and policy dialogues, joint organization of annual academic seminars and thematic workshops and facilitation of virtual and hybrid scholarly engagements, and
Community Engagement and Outreach involving collaborative outreach initiatives addressing community development, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and public policy engagement, knowledge exchange programmes involving industry, government agencies, civil society organizations, and local communities and promotion of culturally grounded and socially impactful research and practice.
However, it was emphasized that each activity undertaken pursuant to this Agreement shall be implemented through separate addenda or specific agreements which shall clearly define the scope of activities, duration, financial responsibilities, implementation modalities, intellectual property arrangements and other mutually agreed conditions.
Furthermore, each of the two institutions shall be responsible for funding its participation and involvement in activities developed under this Agreement, subject to the availability of funds and internal budgetary approvals.
Commenting on the consummation of the MoU, ABUAD Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, described the development as inspiring and in tandem with ABUAD’s vision of maintaining an excellent track record with the overall aim of institutionalizing qualitative, functional and impactful education as well as raising a new generation of patriotic and nationalistic leaders that will change society for the better.
The Vice Chancellor took cognizance of the fact that research is an expensive venture, hence the need to collaborate with others to ensure adequate funding, adding that universities all over the world stand to gain more through collaborations than going about research all alone.
Her words: “Today has ushered in a new era in research collaboration in our renewed hope to change the world”.
She added: “Since our university came into existence some 16 years ago, it has continued to occupy a pride of place in the comity of universities by ensuring that its impact is felt on all fronts as a result of which it is rightly acknowledged as the best private university in Nigeria by national and international educational stakeholders”.
For example, the National Universities Commission, NUC, the Regulatory Authority for University Education in Nigeria, has acknowledged our university as “magic and miracle”, “a model, benchmark and reference point” as well as “the pride of University system in Nigeria” and endorsed by the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) as “the most successful private university in Nigeria”. UNESCO also acknowledged it as “a world class institution of Higher Education”.
Rising from its 2025 ranking meeting on June 18, 2025, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, THEIRS, ranked the 15-year-old university as follows:
No. 84 in the world
No. 3 in Africa,
No. 1 in Africa in SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) with a score of 83.3%
No. 1 in Africa in SDG 13 (Climate Change) with a score of 83.1%
No. 2 in Africa in SDG 1 (No Poverty) with a score of 87.9%
No. 3 in Africa in SDG 17 (Partnership for Goals) with a score of 92.4%
No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 1 (No Poverty) with a score of 87.9%
No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) with a score of 83.3%
No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 13 (Climate Change) with a score of 83.1%
No. 1 in Nigeria in SDG 17 (Partnership for Goals) with a score of 92.4%
No. 1 in Nigeria for four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025
In his own remarks, Olali who confessed to being excited to be in ABUAD, affirmed that the seriousness he found in the 16-year-old university is second to none.
His words: “We will build on the good works you have already started. As a matter of fact, we met you in motion and so, it will not be difficult for us to join you in the race that you have already started.
“On our part, we are looking forward to an ambitious collaboration. My desire is that very soon, universities in the Western world will begin to emulate ABUAD, the pace setter. This is a serious-minded university.
“This is a very serious university. The things you are doing here are the things that I will always align myself with. Therefore, all the collaborators must roll up their sleeves as we embark on this journey. Everybody that will be on board must appreciate that there is a lot of work to do. What we have before us is achievable if we place emphasis on continuity”
Olofintila is ABUAD’s Director, Corporate Affairs.