Hendrix Oliomogbe
The Vice-Chancellor of University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Edoba Omoregie, SAN has called for stronger interdisciplinary collaboration among faculties in the university.
Prof. Omoregie spoke at the second edition of the university’s Faculty Public Lecture Series, which was hosted by the Faculty of Arts.
The lecture, which was delivered by the dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Osarhieme Osadolor, a former acting vice chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, had as its theme, “Expressing the Universal Qualities of Being Human.”
The vice-chancellor remarked that the humanities remain central to shaping human values, critical thinking and national development.
He said that the lectures are part of the institution’s broader vision to showcase the university’s academic strengths and expose staff and students to opportunities across different disciplines.
He said that the initiative was at the core of his administration’s desire to showcase the various opportunities that abound in the university, adding:
“We are doing this to showcase the strengths of our various faculties and programmes, while exposing staff and students to the vast possibilities in their disciplines."
Besides, he noted that the lecture series also served as a bridge between the university and the larger society, helping to connect academic knowledge with real-life human experiences.
Prof. Omoregie advised faculties and departments to work more closely together, noting that interdisciplinary engagement is critical to achieving the university’s vision of relevance and excellence.
He said that as change agents, the tertiary institution should at all times be committed to the idea of bettering society and being the best in all that it does.
While emphasizing the continued relevance of humanities in the digital era, Prof. Osadolor said that the arts are not merely academic disciplines but essential tools for shaping society, preserving culture and building human consciousness
Prof. Osadolor highlighted the career prospects of the different departments in the faculty, insisting that the humanities are not outdated as many of the departments in the faculty are already involved in digital humanities and artificial intelligence applications.
The historian noted that disciplines such as linguistics were now deeply connected to artificial intelligence, natural language processing and machine translation.
“In linguistics, for example, we are engaged in partnerships on AI, machine translation and the preservation of indigenous African languages,” he said.
The erudite scholar noted that attributes such as empathy, creativity, resilience, love, memory, belonging and purpose define humanity and are best expressed through disciplines in the humanities.
Prof. Osadolor said: “For this reason, teaching, learning and research in the Faculty of Arts enable us to define our humanity, shape our relations and actions, and impact the world."
The dean noted that the university's Faculty of Arts had, for over 50 years, served as a beacon of scholarship, creativity and cultural preservation, producing thinkers, diplomats, artists, journalists, philosophers and other professionals contributing meaningfully to Nigeria and the world.
The former acting vice chancellor warned that countries that neglect the humanities often struggle with civic consciousness and ethical responsibility.
“If you step outside this country and study places like Germany, you will see that the arts have a special place in academic programmes.
“They teach philosophy, ethics and critical thinking because they understand what it means to be human and what it means to build order in society,” he said.
The historian noted that disciplines such as linguistics were now deeply connected to artificial intelligence, natural language processing and machine translation
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