As a centre of learning, the University of Ilorin is planning to set a world record. UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB in this piece x-rays the steps taken by UREC to set a new Hackathon Guinness World.
All things being equal, the University of Ilorin Renewable Energy Centre (UREC) would by March 21 2020 set a new Hackathon Guinness World record by being the second institution to conduct the largest single practical session for 5 ,000 students at a place.
The current record of the largest single practical session conducted by any higher institutions in a place is 4,200, a record which UREC hopes to surpass come March 21, 2020.The epoch making event which would commence at the main campus of the university beginning from 10am on March 21, is being organised by UREC in collaboration with the Science Ambassadors Foundation (SAF) to foster creativity among students.About 5,000 students across tertiary institutions in the state are set to be taken through leadership and mentoring programme by UREC in partnership with SAF.
The objectives
Briefing news men about the forthcoming programme, the director of UREC, Professor Joshua Olaoye, said, “This feat aims to break the stereotype of conventional education which does not task students to create solutions for their immediate environment using out-of-lab materials.”The objectives of the programme is to foster creativity among students and encourage resilience, team work, knowledge application; teach students problem-solving skills and revamp their mindset,” he said.Asked what would be the fate of the students after graduation, Olaoye responded by saying, “We are not going to leave them alone”.According to him, “UREC in collaboration with Science Ambassadors Foundation (SAF) would equip graduating students with work ethics to excel in their chosen careers.”Inside URECGiving insight into the activities of the centre, Prof Olaoye said the vision of the UREC is to provide a world- class centre of excellence in thorough leadership, postgraduate education and innovation management to support research and development in renewable energy.”Unilorin Renewable Energy Centre is to be the voice of renewable energy research in Nigeria. The centre is to create opportunities to open up new possibilities, new ideas, concepts, approaches and new initiatives in renewable energy development.”To support the transition to a sustainable low carbon world and to offer special support for the overall development of alternative energy generation in terms of informational exchange, propagation of relevant technologies and inter-mediation.”Our goal is to empower graduating students with the right innovative skills. This is wholly based on Ideation which is very crucial to the ecosystem.”The goal is therefore to take 5,000 students through this leadership and mentoring programme. The students would be taken through these leadership and mentoring programme through virtual interaction and an organised hands on practical session.”
VC’s magnanimity
Although, the event is meant to be for students of the university alone and mandatory for those in 30O level , the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Sulyman Abdulkareem, directed that it be extended to other institutions of higher learnings in the state.Among the benefiting institutions are Kwara State University Malete, Landmark university Omu-Aran, among others.”The desire of our vice chancellor is to extend the programme to other tertiary institutions in the state and not to limit it to the benefit of our students at the University of Ilorin only.”It is therefore a town and gown affair where the impact of our activities would be positively felt within our community.”The students are to be grouped into clusters of 100 students per unit with an assigned one international and one local mentors,” professor Olaoye said.
Expected benefits
Outside the university community, the upcoming event, according to the organisers, has a lot of benefits for the larger society.”Our firm believe is that the coming together of great minds in the community would provide spark of creativity that would have indelible marks on their development in the state specifically and the country at large.”We believe that this level of synergy would place Unilorin Renewable Energy Centre (UREC) and Kwara state on the global educational map and increase investments in the initiative as well as create job opportunities through the ingenuity of our bright minds.”To conduct research and development in renewable energy resources in Nigeria, generate alternative power supply and to provide sustainable solution to the known and dire energy problems confronting the nation.”To improve the quality and scope of Nigerian research and development in renewable energy technologies and to promote and support the development of innovative technologies and human resources to enable a prompt transition to a sustainable energy system”, Olaoye said.
Innovate Kwara.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Innovate Kwara’ Prof Olaoye said, “The experiment is to initiate a mass awareness for innovation using electricity generation as a case study. The feat aims to break the stereotype of conventional education which does not task students to ideate solutions for their immediate environment using out-of-lab- materials. This will be demonstrated using improvised materials.”In our bid to host the ‘largest science practical session’ as applied in our everyday lives conducted at a single venue in order to bridge town and gown. This would therefore create opportunities for the University of Ilorin through this programme to achieve the Hackathon Guinness World Record.”This is a tripartite event which exposes our students to both indigenous and international mentors to come up with brilliant commercially viable ideas that is aimed at improving Kwara state and overall winners are expected to showcase at the grand finale of tech challenge in the USA, anchored by Tech Interactive, our programme partner and lastly set the novel world record and make our students record holders. We propose to unveil three awards.”The opening and closing of the main event is therefore scheduled to hold on March 21, 2020 by 10.00am prompt at the Multi-Purpose Hall, University of Ilorin, Kwara state.”While one would want to appreciate the coming together of sound minds and highly talented young Nigerians, it is hoped that the event would generate ideas and practicable solutions to the challenges in the Nigeria energy sector. This initiative should not be allowed to go the way of several others which do not see the light of the day because of lack of adequate funding to commercial research findings. It is expected that governments at all levels must support young minds from the nation’s ivory towers to provide solutions to emerging problems.
