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FOSTERING INNOVATION THROUGH RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

DEVELOPMENT: A CALL FOR SYNERGY BETWEEN TOWN AND GOWN

BY

KOLAWOLE. A. OLONADE

DEPA RT M EN T OF C I V I L EN GI N EER IN G

UN I VERS I TY OF LAGOS , N I GER I A

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

OUTLINE

1. Town and Gown – What are they?

2. Long time disconnect between T and G

3. Forced relationship between T and G

4. Modern Challenges

5. Education, Research and Innovation:

Tripartite for Sustainable Infrastructure

6. Synergy between T and G - Benefits

7. Conclusion

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Town and Gown – What are they?

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

TownGown

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Before 1980s: Disconnect between T and G

• Students and Professors

find fulfilment only in their

theses and academic

papers

• Competition for prestige

• Remote from the society

• Unconcerned with social

and economic problems of

larger society

University as Citadel of Learning:

• What is the implication?

✓ Diminishing in size

✓ No respect,

✓ no value

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Building wall between T and G

University becomes Ivory TowerUrbanization of cities:

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Forced Connection between T and G

• Academics now seek accommodation outside campus

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• Studentification factor✓ Seeking accommodation

outside✓ Pressure on available facilities✓ Contracting out facility

maintenance

• Urbanization of cities and

quest for economic survival.

• Paucity of fund: Universities becoming business ventures: producing bread, bottle water etc

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 7

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Global challenges

Environment

Durability challenges

Urbanization

Pressure on facilities

Climate Change

Communities are being displaced

Depletion of Resources

Material scarcity

Sustainable Infrastructure

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Sustainable Infrastructure

Change Behaviour

Change Technology

Change Fuel

Maintain Ecosystem

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 10

Education, Research and Innovation: Tripartite for Sustainable Infrastructure

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 11

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 12

If we fail to act now……..

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 13

Lake Chad basin is fast moving

towards total extinction as

available data shows that it has

shrunk by more than 90% within

the last 45 years orchestrated by

climate change, therefore saving

the Lake Chad is a task that must

be done to restore the environment,

means of livelihood and mitigate

conflict and rural-urban migration

amongst others.

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

The wall between T and G finally collapsed

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Coping with a new

matrimony becomes a

major Challenge; there

are suspicions and

shifting of blames

between T and G

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Towns’ Complaints/Suspicions

• Universities do not share from their liabilities; They are

parasite

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• Gowns are producing unemployable/untrainable

graduates.

• Gowns are engaging in unproductive researches.

• Gowns have derailed from their core mandates:

Teaching, Research and Community Services

• Gowns provide irrelevant/outdated education

• Universities lack capacity to solve their problems

• Unsatisfactory of previous patronage

• Uncertainty in the system

• No international certification

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Gowns’ Complaints/Suspicion

• Increased enrolment – institutional massification

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• Towns are not supportive.

• Towns are selfish and only want to take it all

• Towns are not ready to spend on R and D

• Towns do not want to invest in human

capacity development.

• Overburden with non-academic activities

• Unfavorable environment

• Lack of adequate tools and facilities

• Students are not ready to learn

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA

CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL,

NAIROBI, KENYA18

For how long shall we continue to shift blames? What is certain is that as resources diminish, and as challenges

increase, synergy become a condition sine qua non.

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Synergy between T and G?

Should the town see itself as a benefactor of the gown or vise versa?

BUT?

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YES

What benefit does each gain from the synergy?

Is there any common goal?

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Surely, the two shouldsee themselves aspartners in progress andsee their cooperation asa win-win relationshipfor mutual benefit.

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Gown Town

Produce

manpower

Produce

facilities

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Gowns✓ research priorities

set by investigator

✓ grant-seeking

✓ publications

✓ patenting driven by

publications

✓ serendipity

✓ transfer of discovery

at early stage

Understanding Differences

Towns✓ research priorities set

by management

✓ profit-seeking

✓ proprietary

✓ patenting driven by

business decisions

✓ control

✓ add value before

transferring

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Striking balance between T and G

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

The way to go for working/productive synergy

• The issue of onwership can mar or make the relatisonhip,

so this must agreed to from the onset to ensure

sustainability.

• Academia need to adjust their system and give credence to innovative research so as to attract investment from the industries.

• The industries could establish their R & D department in the university for the industry and students

• Academia should promote multi-disciplinary approach to

research and learning within their communities.

• Employment policy between the academia and the

indsutries.

• There is need to establish confidence level that guarrantee

the business of the industries without jeopardising the

university system.

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

• Application of research for public good

• Exposure to industry collaboration

• Additional source of research funds

• Build research endowment

• Reward investigator/inventor

Motivation for Synergy: Academia perspective

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“Why partner with industries?”

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

Motivation for Synergy: Industry perspective;

“Why partner with universities?”

• Research institutions are rich source of new

ideas and technology.

• Cheaper to support research and to license-in

technology.

• Biotech industry looks to academic collaborations

for early stage technology

• Relevance in the business

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KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA

CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL,

NAIROBI, KENYA27

Experience

At

University of Lagos

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 28

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI,

KENYA29

PART H: COLLABORATION IN RESEARCH AND

INNOVATION WITH ACADEMIC/RESEARCH

INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND THE

INDUSTRY:

• Strengthen research and innovation capacity

• Enhance students’ hands-on exposure to real-

time industry or organizational practices to

prepare them in their career activities.

• Establish and manage innovation hubs for value

creation and migration to the Entrepreneurship

Centre for mentorship and accelerated growth.

• Establish shared facilities with the industry on

campus for R&D and high level training.

• Provide Research and Development platforms

for the industry and other organizations in a

mutually beneficial way.

• Provide unique and well-tailored research and

development; and quality assurance backbone

to Small-Medium Entrepreneurs, so as to

ensure the competitiveness of their products

and services

28-page document

http://research.unilag.edu.ng/images/research/files/newpolicy.pdf

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 30

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 31

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and

intelligence win championships." – ...

Conclusion

Michael Jordan

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"Alone we can do so little; together we can do

so much." – ...

Helen Keller

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI ON TUESDAY, 29TH JANUARY, 2019

• WOLFRAM AND ISEE PATRONS

• UNILAG

Thank you

KEYNOTE LECTURE PRESENTED AT ISEE AFRICA CONFERENCE, 31ST JAN, 2019, AT OLEI-SERENI HOTEL, NAIROBI, KENYA 34