The Ikirun-born Canada-based business mogul, Prince Tajudeen Gboleru, has announced his readiness to set up a new private university in Ikirun in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State , AMILOADED reports.
The business mogul, who has christened the institution Gboleru University, said the establishment is to contribute to knowledge, economic and human capital development of Osun State.
Prince Gboleru, who is the Chief Executive Officer of SDA Gboleru and Company Limited, noted that the university will place premium on teaching students to acquire practical experience that is required in workplace environment.
“It is time universities start teaching students in ways that more resemble the actual workplace,” he said.
The Ikirun-born businessman further stated that the university will serve three particular functions which include preparing students for decent and qualitative employment, to achieve personal growth, and to contribute to improvement in society.
He disclosed that over $100 million has been earmarked as initial investment on the project, adding that over 150 hectares of land has been acquired along Gboleru Estate, Eko Ende Road in Ikirun.
Prince Gboleru stated that other necessary regulatory approvals are being processed to ensure a smooth take-off of the university.
He further revealed that arrangements have been put in place for the new university to partner with All Saints University College of Medicine, Canada.
The business mogul said, “With its alumni located across the globe, practicing as doctors, or in the fields of healthcare, research and academics, All Saints University strive to foster an environment where students feel supported academically, socially and emotionally.
“The effort will complement the efforts of the state government to ensure availability of qualitative and affordable education to all the sons and daughters of Osun State. Gboleru University will be made affordable through offering of scholarship to deserving grassroot students.”
Prince Gboleru added that the new university will be an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research, made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor’s degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer master’s degrees and doctorates.
He said the decision to establish the institution in Ikirun is due to the fact that universities are key to the national innovation agenda, and share an obligation to be at the forefront of contemporary policies and society.
“This is why we are focused on producing quality, accessible research through highly cited and esteemed researchers. We will grow our innovation ecosystem and pursue the uptake of disruptive technologies that deliver positive economic impacts,” he added.
Prince Gboleru continued, “Having garnered enough international experience and exposure to education, I believe that, implicitly or explicitly, for students and teachers alike university education is still viewed as mainly about the transmission of facts, and about assessments to ensure those facts have been learned. There are two major flaws with this model. The first is that in most workplaces, teamwork, collaboration and outputs that are important for the employer are what matters, not the results of a test.
“When we teach students to pass relatively arbitrary individual assessments, we may be testing their intelligence and their stamina, but we are not setting them up for success in real life. The second flaw is that facts, learned this way, don’t stay in people’s brains long enough to be mastered and applied. The only way for us to retain, internalise and learn to use expert knowledge is to apply it, try different ways of utilising it, make mistakes, and then try again via a different route. In short, to learn just as we do in real life.”
The Ikirun-born businessman further stated that active learning, which would be the benchmark of Gboleru University, would deliver better learning outcomes for students and, equally resembles real working life.
“So, our students will have more than a vague idea of their journey ahead. They also deserve to understand early on what learning is about and that, because it never stops, they can apply their skills in many different types of jobs after graduation,” he noted.
Prince Gboleru further revealed that dedicated, resourceful and goal-driven professional educator with a solid commitment to the social and academic growth and development of every child would be engaged to get the job done.
The business mogul added that the institution already has its eye on a team of experts with experience in developing curriculum as well as conducting teaching, training and parenting programme; introduce concepts into curriculum related to life and social skills.
He stated, “Our courses and research capacity will be geared towards excellence at a global level. We are focused on creating a lasting impact that contributes to the needs of communities and empowers people to achieve their aspirations.
“Our ambition for our graduates is that they will be ethical, agile thinkers who are competitive in a global economy. Their experiences at Gboleru University will shape their sense of self as well as their future career.”
According to the popular businessman, some of the courses that would be offered at the initial stage of the institution include Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, Animal Science, Crop Science, Food Science and Technology, Fisheries, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Petroleum and Gas Engineering, Systems Engineering, Structural Engineering, Production and Industrial Engineering,
Others are Environmental Sciences, Anatomy, Anesthesia, Chemical Pathology, Community Medicine, Dermatology, Hematology and Immunology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, Medicine, Morbid Anatomy, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Physiology, Radiation Medicine Surgery, Psychological Medicine, Child Dental Health, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy, among others.
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