General Background

Covenant University is a Christian mission institution that is driven by a compelling vision to raise a new generation of leaders for the African Continent. The University operates with a specific mandate to revolutionize the educational context of Africa and has its foundational objectives premised on a powerful and compelling vision of pioneering excellence in all areas.

We have, over the years, taken steps to put in place the parameters for institutionalizing a world-class university by driving cutting-edge practices in pioneering excellence across all the academic programmes and units. This is to ensure that best practices are upheld and to enable best products emerge from the institution. This quest has resulted in a number of innovations and the birth of the International Office and Linkages (IOL).

Our vision base as an institution continues to provide us with a clear direction with regards to our priorities along strategic paths and operational planning in our commitment to pioneering excellence at the cutting-edge of learning, particularly for actualizing our vision of raising a new generation of leaders. Also, our mission is to introduce the Christian philosophy that leads to empowerment, emancipation, and wellbeing through the establishment of Spirituality, Possibility Mentality, Capacity Building, Integrity, Diligence, Responsibility and Sacrifice.

Vision and Philosophy

The International Office and Linkages is at the heart of the strategic plan in the University’s drive towards a world-class status. The Office initiates, coordinates and executes the goals of the institution’s internationalization, namely collaboration and linkage. Its Vision is to direct programmes of the University in the area of global community service, capacity building and networking for continuous relevance. In addition, the IOL leads the cause of internationalization of the institution by acting as a central coordinator and facilitator of all international related initiatives and activities, with an eye on the universities with the highest ratings in the world. This is with the view to quickly rising to such enviable levels as an institution. The University’s strategic vision for the decade is 1 of 10 in 10, and as such the driving principle from the platform of the IOL for the next one year will be Revolutionary Path, by which policies and actions will be dynamic, creative but realistic.

Background, Mission and Strategic Focus

At the inception of the institution, the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, who is also the President of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (LFCWW), envisaged an academic institution where academic curriculum is top-class, service-based and value-driven with an overarching emphasis on Human Development from a Total Man Concept and Entrepreneurial Development base. Our aim as a centre is to complement the University in building a world-class institution that will be the pride of Africa as well as take its place among the Ivory League Universities on the global platform. As the University continues to expand globally, the need for IOL arose. The IOL began operations as “International Office” in October 2007 in C2302B with fourteen (14) international students, from where it moved to its current G401B in the College Building. In 2008, it changed nomenclature to ‘International Students Office” and months later, it became ‘International Students Services”. The expanding scope and operations of the centre compelled yet again a change to its present name “International Office and Linkages”.

The University has put in a lot to drive a visible presence on the local and international scene via the establishment of networks and partnership across different universities. At the moment, the university has established multiple linkages with universities around the world. The IOL directs all programs of the University in the areas of global community service, institution building, and networking. The role of the IOL is to lead the development of internationalization at Covenant University by acting as the central coordinator and facilitator of all internationally related initiatives and activities. The International Office & Linkages is tasked to promote, facilitate, and assess programs of international collaboration between Covenant University and renowned institutions.

This Collaboration can be achieved in several ways: faculty or student exchange, exchange of materials, research participation and involvement, and shared conference planning are only some of the possibilities. Both the cooperating institution and Covenant University should be able to gain from the relationship. Sometimes these goals are achieved through bilateral agreements and at other times through networks of participating institutions.

Objectives

The following are the objectives of the International Office and Linkages:

1. Nurturing international administrative and research linkages, consultancies, and expanding the University’s academic and custom built programs to have more of a global perspective.
2. Internationalizing the curriculum, pedagogy and extra-curriculum activities of the University
3. Prospecting and looking after the international faculty and students as well as increasing the number of indigenous students who gain international experiences and exposure.
4. Responsible for integrating an international and global dimension into all of the activities of the University.
5. Provides leadership in developing strategies to enable the University recruit the most capable international students into its undergraduate and postgraduate programs; and provide oversight of strategies that monitor and ensure quality of international students’ experience.
6. Coordinates services with international exchange students and scholar at Covenant University.
7. Develops agreements with institutions of higher learning internationally as well as with the corporate world in areas of strategic benefits.
8. Performs such other duties as may be assigned by the Vice-Chancellor or the Chancellor from time to time.