Wives of Vice Chancellors of public universities have concluded plans to travel to Istanbul, Turkey for a five-day conference.
The conference will be held in spite of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since February 14, 2022, entered its third month.
According to a letter by the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, the programme is scheduled to hold from 18 to 23 July 2022, in Istanbul.
The letter which was dated May 5, 2022, was signed by the Committee’s Secretary-General, Yakubu Ochefu.
Ochefu noted that each of the VC wives would pay a sum of N1.5m as course form to attend the programme.
The letter addressed to vice chancellors was titled, ‘Invitation to the Istanbul 5-Day Leadership & Management Masterclass, Fellowship Induction for Spouses of Vice Chancellors, Women in Academics and Higher Education Leadership’.
Part of the letter read, “We understand the vital role spouses play in supporting Vice Chancellors as they execute their day- to-day administration of universities. It is therefore imperative that capacity building exercises be put in place for the Women in Academics and spouses of Vice Chancellors in Nigerian Universities.
“In this regard, the Committee’s Secretariat, In Partnership with Win Institute for Gender Studies, Nigeria in collaboration with her Turkey-based learning partner, Istanbul Egitimler, have put together a 5-day Leadership & Management Masterclass, and Fellowship Induction for spouses of Vice Chancellors, women academics and higher education leadership in Africa.”
Similarly, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities Spouses is set to hold a two-day conference at the Tayo Aderinokun Memorial Hall at the University of Lagos.
The conference slated for May 9, 2022, has UNILAG VC, Prof O.T. Ogundipe, and his wife as hosts while former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Dr Ibukun Awosika, is pencilled as one of the speakers.