The presiding bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide and founder of Covenant University, Bishop David Oyedepo has challenged academicians to stop being bookish but should start grooming thinkers.
Oyedepo made this known while delivering a keynote address at the 54th meeting of the committee of Deans of Post Graduate Schools (CDPGS) in Nigerian Universities which was hosted by Covenant University in its premises.
In his speech, he noted that so many academicians were so proud of having attained a certain level in their field of study but have neglected the art of thinking out ideas.
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“Everywhere I go in Nigeria today, everybody continues to complain that things are not working; but who will start how things will work and when? That person is you and that time is now, and postgraduate education should serve as a platform for inviting our students into thinking solutions. Today, it is thinkers that rule the world and we should be development-oriented in things we do.” He said
Citing the case of Isaac Newton, the Wright brothers and Albert Einstein, he said these men all had a brainwave in their time which revolutionalized into great inventions.
To make a difference he charged the deans to start thinking outside the box, adding that, such effort would propel students as well to excellence.
“Leadership is not being in the driver seat, but adding values. As a dean, you must start thinking what difference you are going to make in that position; what contributions in terms of innovations and feat. You have no business being in that position if you cannot make that difference that will be a reference point to your successors years after you have left.
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Bishop Oyedepo further added, suggesting the concept of ‘read thinking’ which combines critical thinking research should be imbibed.
The chairman of the association, Professor Bamidele Sanni who announced earlier, the theme of the meeting as, ‘Repositioning postgraduate education for sustainable national development’ also buttressed that deans and academicians needed to train excellent successors after them.
“As deans of postgraduate schools, our colleagues often refer to us as ‘deans of deans’. We are leaders in our capacity who are also training tomorrow’s leaders. We, therefore, have a responsibility to lead others aright before handing over so they can sustain standard.
He finally related his commentary to his personal experience saying those who groomed and made him and others who they are today are proud of them.
“So we also want to be proud of others by saying ‘that man or lady graduated from this university and I supervised his research.”
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