The Vice-Chancellor of Sa’adu Zungur University, Fatimah Tahir, has called on academic staff and researchers to adopt more impactful, solution-oriented research through stronger collaboration with industries and key stakeholders as a pathway to sustainable national development.
She made the call during the closing ceremony of a 3-Day Stepdown Training Workshop on Research Administration, Industry Collaboration, and Commercialization, organized by the Centre of Excellence for Research and Innovation (CERI) at the university’s Gadau Main Campus.
Describing the workshop as timely and highly relevant, the Vice-Chancellor stressed that research must go beyond academic theory and laboratory work to deliver practical solutions capable of addressing societal challenges and improving livelihoods.
She encouraged participants to take full advantage of the training, noting that the knowledge and skills gained would strengthen their research capacity and enhance the University’s contribution to institutional growth and societal development.
Professor Tahir further urged researchers to actively engage with industries, institutions, and development partners to ensure that research outputs are innovative, applicable, and commercially viable.
Reaffirming the University’s commitment to academic excellence, she noted that continuous staff development and capacity-building programmes remain central to improving teaching, research quality, innovation, and community service.
She also reiterated the institution’s readiness to deepen partnerships with relevant stakeholders to advance research, innovation, and commercialization for the overall development of Bauchi State and Nigeria.
During the ceremony, certificates of appreciation were presented to facilitators, while participants received certificates of participation in recognition of their engagement and contributions to the workshop.
Earlier, the Director of CERI, Centre of Excellence for Research and Innovation, Dr. Usman Waziri, said the workshop was organized on the directive of the Vice-Chancellor to cascade knowledge gained from previous TETFund-sponsored trainings to more academic staff.
He revealed that 64 academic staff from various faculties and departments participated in the training, alongside external participants from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Aminu Sale College of Education, and the Federal University of Health Sciences.
According to him, the university fully sponsored the workshop as part of efforts to strengthen research administration, promote innovation, deepen academia-industry linkages, and enhance the institution’s visibility and competitiveness.
The training featured expert-led sessions on topics such as university-community partnerships, accelerating innovation in universities, change management, research administration, commercialization, academia-industry collaboration, the Triple Helix model, emotional intelligence, and building sustainable research partnerships.
Participants also engaged in interactive discussions and group presentations designed to assess their understanding of the concepts covered.
Stakeholders at the event emphasized that research for development remains critical in addressing societal challenges, noting that stronger collaboration between academia, industry, and communities is essential for driving sustainable economic growth.
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