International Office and Linkages

Welcome Note From The Director

On behalf of the Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Professor Aize Obayan, I welcome you to the International Office and Linkages of the University. The International Office and Linkages is a strategic unit under the Vice-Chancellor’s Office charged with coordinating all international activities, collaborations, and linkages. Its activities are also strategically geared towards positioning Covenant University to occupy a prominent status on the world academic map. In consonance with the larger vision of the University to produce a new generation of leaders, the international Office and Linkages was created as a unit under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for the purposes of forging links with academic institutions abroad, attracting foreign faculty and students to the University and popularize its customs-built programs abroad so as to gain useful experience for faculty and university administrators.

The International Office and Linkages has two arms namely the International Student Services (ISS) Office and the Directorate which coordinates Linkages and Collaborations with foreign academic institutions. The ISS Office is headed by a Coordinator. Both arms function under the direct supervision of the Vice Chancellor.

Thank You.

Dr. Nnamdi T. Ekeanyanwu

Director, International Office and Linkages

October, 2010.

Introduction 

Covenant University is a Christian mission University 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.

Over the years, we have 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 programs and units, in order to ensure that best practices are upheld to enable best products emerge from the University.

As a budding world-class University, our vision and mission focus as an institution continues to provide us with a clear direction with regards to our priorities along strategic and operational planning paths 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 occupies a strategic placing in the University’s drive towards a world class status. It coordinates all the University’s internationalization goals, collaborations and linkages. Its Vision is to direct programs of the University in the area of global community service, capacity building for continuous relevance and networking. In addition, the International Office and Linkages leads the internationalization of Covenant University by acting as a central coordinator and facilitator of all international related initiatives and activities. The International Office and Linkages is poised to promote, facilitate and assess programs of international collaboration between Covenant University and renowned institutions all around the globe. Ultimately, the vision is to fast track the placement of Covenant University as a leading world class university by quality of teaching, community services and research outputs.

Mission and Strategic Focus

Some years ago, Bishop David Oyedepo, the presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, envisioned an academic institution where academic curriculum is qualitative, service-based and value driven with an overarching emphasis on Human Development from a Total Man Concept and Entrepreneurial Development base.

Our aim is to build a world-class university that will be the pride of Africa as well as take its place among the Ivory league Universities on the global platform. 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 is in the process of establishing multiple linkages with universities around the world. As the University continues to extend its wings towards achieving a well-balanced international caliber education, it realized the need to set up an office which will focus more on the exchange and linkages services between Covenant University and its growing sister universities across the globe.

The International Office & Linkages directs all programs of the University in the areas of global community service, institution building, and networking. The role of the International Office & Linkages 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.