Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) is once again pushing for greater partnership between the academia and the tech world as the Nigerian co-working space and incubator has signed a partnership with Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) to create an edtech research centre.
Onto exciting news – we’ve signed the #MOU today to kickstart an #Edtech Centre of Excellence at the Tai Solarin University of Education. Working closely with @relearnNG, we’ll push to not only encourage students to create but also research smart application of tech in Education. pic.twitter.com/Gwlr0MKhDK
— 'Bosun Tijani (@bosuntijani) October 18, 2018
Dubbed the Centre of Excellence, the research centre will serve as a main pivot spurring students and researchers in the academia to develop smart application of technology.
Writing on Twitter, CcHub’s Bosun Tijani shared that CcHub will play a key role in the development of the think tank which will be closely monitored under its Re:Learn edtech initiative. Re:Learn is an important thrust helping to spread Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education across the country. The initiative is widely recognised and supported, even by the European Union.
Some members of the Re:Learn team will take up posts at the new centre when it launches. They will serve mainly as Adjunct Research Fellows at the centre.
We’ll provide governance advisory and support the University in identifying and attracting funding for both basic and applied research projects. Select members of the @relearnNG will be funded as Adjunct Research Fellows attached to the centre of excellence.
— 'Bosun Tijani (@bosuntijani) October 18, 2018
As part of the deal, CcHub will be making important investments into TASUED. The tech hub plans to make key upgrades to the school’s ICT centre as well as fund edtech researches at the Masters and PhD levels at the school.
In return, CcHub will serve as advisor and help the institution identify and attract funding for researches in the fields of basic and applied sciences.
CcHub Renews Push For Academic Research
For a long time CcHub has kept a keen interest in supporting STEM education across the country. The incubator has also been leading the push to invite the academia to play active roles in Nigeria’s tech development.
Are you a researcher in an African university? Sign up for the opportunity to bring your research to life through capacity development and innovation. #AUIA https://t.co/cA4KIPeo6h pic.twitter.com/k9XPb9WQ3O
— Co-Creation Hub (@Cc_HUB) January 15, 2018
In January, CcHub instituted the African Universities Innovation Accelerator (AUIA) program. The AUIA program is a three part initiative that ultimately seeks to make academic research useful to the real world. It helps identify trends and knowledge dearth that academic research can explore for industry benefit.
The soon to be launched Centre for Excellence at TASUED is another push in this direction.
“This is an exciting time for all of us at CcHUB,” Bosun Tijani wrote on Twitter. “We’ve always been keen on ensuring that our work in education is evidence-based.”
He believes also that CcHUB’s interest in ‘inquiry-based learning’ will evolve through this partnership with TASUED.
