A distinguished Nigerian, who is also a student of Lagos State University (LASU,) Amb. Edward Olutoke, has underscored the need for collaboration between postgraduate students worldwide.
Olutoke noted that postgraduate students should not only limit their inputs to their alma mater alone, but work in concert with their contemporaries in similar institutions in a manner that encourages cross fertilisation of ideas from one end of the world to another.
Olutoke stated this while presenting his inauguration speech, having been elected the pioneer Global President of Global Association of Post Graduate Students (GAPOGS) during the body’s inaugural election which held in New York in the United States of America.
Addressing members after his inauguration, Olutoke said his reason for joining like minds to initiate GAPOGS was anchored on his understanding that postgraduate students, regardless of individual status, are naturally of higher reasoning, adding that with such faculty, they could provide the necessary intellectual and material support base for their schools.
This, Olutoke explained, is why GAPOGS came on stream to create that all-inclusive ambience which would fast track handshakes of postgraduate students across borders, while ultimately creating a global community where scholars would facilitate development of their various campuses through a swap of ideas across varying fields.
“The aim of GAPOGS is to establish a dynamic and supportive international network that empowers postgraduate students by providing opportunities for academic growth, interdisciplinary collaborations, cultural exchange, and professional advancement. GAPOGS is the unifying platform that promotes intellectual engagement, supports research endeavours, and cultivates a sense of camaraderie among postgraduate scholars globally,” Olutoke said while explaining the aim of the students body
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On the purpose of GAPOGS, Olutoke who is currently a PhD student at the LASU, stressed that the body would seek collaborations with academic institutions, research and culture institutes, corporate organisations, and individuals across the world for academic growth, cultural exchange, business empowerment as well as professional advancement among members
Aside that, he added that the body would further engender an active intellectual entity that would support research undertakings in addition to skill acquisition, and other needs of students at that level which, according to him, would rub off on their campuses, connect town to gown, facilitate academic exchange programmes, as well as joint research initiatives and academic mobility of members
He added that membership comprises strictly students on any postgraduate programmes-Post graduate diploma, masters, Ph.D or or professional doctorate from any part of the world.
Emphasisng on the modus operandi of GAPOGS, Olutoke identified some of them to include: promotion of academic discourse; consistent organisation of seminars, webinar and conferences; critical thinking and intellectual engagement among scholars, enhancement of members’ professional growth, mentorship, public speaking skills, helping undergraduate students in their academic pursuits, as well as emphasis on the role of postgraduate students in addressing special needs of their campuses, as well as tackling global challenges.
Olutoke enjoined interested post graduate students all over the world to join this global movement.
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