By Ewere Okonta, PhD
08037383019
eob.org.ng
The University of Delta, Agbor (UNIDEL), is set to host its 2nd International Symposium in the Academic and Research Capacity Building Series, an initiative designed to equip academic staff with the knowledge, skills, and strategic insights required to navigate the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education.
The symposium, organised by the Centre for International Collaboration, Research, and Linkage (CICOREL), will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the 1,000-capacity Auditorium, Main Campus, University of Delta, Agbor.
With the theme, “Advancing UNIDEL through Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Learning, Teaching, and Research,” the programme is expected to provide a significant platform for critical conversations on the responsible, practical, and transformative application of AI in the university system.
In a telephone interview with this writer, the Director of CICOREL, Dr Mrs. Maureen Ada Uche, explained that the symposium was being organised in alignment with the “Project RAISE UNIDEL Higher” strategy of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Eric Chiedum Eboh.
According to her, the programme is specifically designed for academic staff members of the University, recognising the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence on the future of education, research, knowledge production, and academic practice.
She noted that the academic engagement was intended to strengthen the University's institutional readiness for the opportunities and responsibilities that accompany the rapid adoption of AI in higher institutions.
The Director emphasised that the symposium would go beyond the excitement surrounding emerging technologies to examine how AI could be responsibly and effectively integrated into the core functions of the University.
From the classroom to the laboratory, from research design to data analysis, and from knowledge dissemination to global academic collaboration, Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping the higher education landscape. For institutions that are prepared, AI presents enormous opportunities for innovation, efficiency, collaboration, and global visibility. For those that fail to adapt, the future may prove increasingly challenging.
It is against this backdrop that CICOREL's international symposium assumes particular significance.
The programme objectives are conceived as an important institutional platform for advancing deliberative conversations on the responsible, practical, and transformative use of Artificial Intelligence in university learning, teaching, and research, with the broader objective of strengthening UNIDEL's global competitiveness.
The symposium will feature an impressive array of resource persons drawn from leading institutions and technology organisations across the world.
They include Nick Reese of the Center for Global Affairs, New York University School of Professional Studies; Dr Arome Solomon Odiba of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Franklin Okeke of TrustedLed AI, United Kingdom; and Nnamdi Patrick Ugwu of NUPAT Technologies, Nigeria.
The diversity of the resource persons is expected to enrich the programme with perspectives from international affairs, advanced scientific research, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and practical technology applications.
For UNIDEL, the symposium represents more than another academic gathering. It is a strategic investment in the people who constitute the intellectual engine of the University.
As Artificial Intelligence continues to redefine how knowledge is created, accessed, taught, analysed, and shared, the preparedness of academic staff will remain central to the ability of universities to remain relevant and competitive.
The question, therefore, is no longer whether Artificial Intelligence will affect higher education. It already has. The more important question is whether universities will merely react to the transformation or deliberately position themselves to lead it.
With the 2nd International Symposium in the Academic and Research Capacity Building Series, UNIDEL appears determined to choose the latter.
The programme also provides another compelling expression of the strategic direction of the University under the leadership of Professor Eric Eboh. Through the “Project RAISE UNIDEL Higher” strategy, the Vice-Chancellor has continued to place emphasis on academic excellence, institutional transformation, research development, innovation, global engagement, and the continuous capacity building of staff.
In this regard, the forthcoming symposium promises to be another significant milestone in UNIDEL's journey towards becoming a more globally competitive, technology-driven, and future-ready university.
The message is clear: the future of higher education is being shaped by technology, and UNIDEL is determined not to be a passive observer.
With an international panel of experts, a globally relevant theme, and a clear institutional focus, the 2nd International Symposium organised by CICOREL promises to be another blockbuster in the unfolding “Project RAISE UNIDEL Higher” strategy.
At UNIDEL, the future is not merely being anticipated.
It is being deliberately prepared for.
Dr Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor
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