DELSU partners with foreign universities to enhance teaching, research

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, is collaborating with foreign-based universities to enhance teaching and research.

Prof. Samuel Asagba, the Vice Chancellor of DELSU, disclosed on Monday while presenting the scorecard of his one year in office.

The professor of Environmental Biochemistry and Toxicology said the foreign institutions were: the Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, South Africa; Carleton University, Canada

The 8th substantive vice chancellor of DELSU added that the other foreign universities include: the First Nations University, Canada and the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, Georgia, USA.

Asagba also said that the foremost state-owned university was partnering with the Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University, China.

According to him, the Chinese-based university has agreed to take four MSc students of DELSU on scholarship.

The vice chancellor said that DELSU would continue to engage the foreign institutions in staff and student exchange.

He said that the whole essence of the internalisation was to put DELSU on the academic world map.

Asagba emphasised that DELSU was committed to maintaining academic standards at both national and global levels.

“The global rankings done by the Times Higher Education for 2026 rated DELSU as No 1 state University in Nigeria.

“It also rated DELSU as the best University in the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria and 12th best University in Nigeria,” he said.

The vice chancellor said that 16 new programmes had been introduced into the University in the last of year of his administration.

Asagba said that DELSU conducted free medical outreach for both the staff and its host community (Abraka) as well as assisted some staff to offset their medical bills.

The vice chancellor said that his administration established the Revenue Monitoring Committee to prevent fund leakages, adding that the initiative had helped to conserve money.

He also said that the university was able to cut costs in its in-house project construction through the establishment of the Direct Labour and Facilities Maintenance Committee.

He highlighted some of his achievements in the last year in office to include: development of a result engine for the collation and processing of results.

“Recruitment of more programmers, facelift of the ICT building, online payments for certificates and other registry services.

“Upgrade of exam centre A and B at the site Abraka with over 600 systems. Upgrade of the CBT centre at Oleh campus with 200 systems.

“New road linking Basic Medical Sciences to Faculty of Arts and renovation of 500-seater theatre and halls A, B, C and D.

“Also, renovations of Weekend degree halls, Biochemistry, Physics, and the AEB laboratory.

“Provision of fast optic fibre-based internet services, renovation and creation of more office spaces in the Faculties of Science and Pharmacy, among others,” he said.

Asagba said that the management, under his watch, also repaired and maintained laboratory equipment and Air Conditioners.

He added that his leadership purchased laptops, desktops, Air Conditioners and executive tables and chairs for the university.

He said that the SERVICOM office was established by the management to improve service delivery by way of promoting efficiency, transparency and accountability.

Asagba said that the university made notable staff promotions in the last year.

According to him, 22 academic staff were promoted as Professors, 17, as Ass. Professor, Non-teaching, 267 (Senior) and Non-teaching, 31 (Junior).

He said that the university would continue to motivate deserving staff with awards to boost productivity.

Speaking on the students’ welfare, the vice chancellor said that the university had sponsored the students’ union executive to various short courses/seminars to help them acquire necessary leadership skills as well as become useful in society after graduation.

He also said that the management carried the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the university along in the decision-making process through constant engagement and dialogue.

Asagba, however, said that the university sustained the students’ work-study programme as well as the appropriate channels to lodge complaints.

Highlights of the event were the presentation of awards to some deserving staff of the institution who were mostly non-academic employees.