LASU Afrobrazilian centre ‘ll attract foreign grants to students, says Dean

Thu, Feb 7, 2019 | By publisher


Education

Prof. Harrison Adeniyi, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University (LASU), says the institution’s newly inaugurated Afrobrazilian Centre will attract foreign research grants to its students.

Adeniyi, who doubles as a board member of the centre, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the inauguration of LASU Centre for Afrobrazilian Studies (LASUCAS) in Lagos.

NAN reports that LASUCAS, the first Centre for Afro – Brazilian Studies in West Africa, was established to promote in-depth research on Brazilian cultural, archeological and architectural relics in Nigeria.

“Many of our exceptional students who are keen on widening their academic scope will, through the centre, be assisted with foreign educational grants to reach their goals.

“Talks are in top gear to facilitate such research grants with University Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and facilitate study exchange between the centre and the university.

“Our students love foreign languages; majorly, Portuguese language is one of the attractions of the students, therefore to make them proficient, there is the need to expose them to Brazil where the language is a major means of communication,’’ Adeniyi said.

He said the multifaceted centre would serve as a research grant variant and also a centre for programme exchange between LASU and Brazilian students.

According to him, many students from Brazil wishing to be proficient in Yoruba language would be assisted in LASU during the exchange programme to achieve their dreams.

The professor said it was expected that in the course of the exchange programme, the students would also explore other social-economic benefit of the collaboration.

Earlier at the event, LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, said that the collaboration with Brazillian institutions was a sign of good tidings for the institution and Nigeria in general.

Represented by Prof. Olumuyiwa Noah, Deputy VC Academics, Fagbohun said that apart from cultural promotion, the centre would explore other avenues beneficial to the two countries.

“Our students that are studying Portuguese language will be involved in the programme exchange between LASU and the Brazilian centre.

“All we know about Brazil is in Samba music and football but it goes beyond that.

“Brazil is a thriving economy in the world and with this partnership, so many other things that will be of economic benefit to Nigeria will emerge,’’ he said.

Mr Flavio Bonzanini, Brazillian Consul General in Nigeria, expressed excitement on the establishment of the centre, saying it was the first of its kind in Africa.

He said many Brazilians had wished to speak Yoruba language but with the centre coming on board, such wishes would be fulfilled.

“Recently my country entered into an agricultural tie with Nigeria worth billions of Naira, but the proponents of this centre seem to have seen the future today,’’ he said.

Dr Tayo Ajayi, LASU Department of Foreign Languages, one of the facilitators of the centre, said that cross fertilization of ideas among the students of the two countries would be the priority of the centre.

Ajayi said that the centre would organise a global cultural fiesta that would unite African descendants this year.

“The need for us to tell our story was important as African culture was fading out and needs to be revived,” he said

NAN also reports that the event, which had Brazilian descendants in Lagos in attendance, aroused the historical culture between the Brazilians, LASU community and the Yorubas. (NAN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Feb. 7, 2019 @ 04:27 GMT |

 

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