VC Pledges Academic Excellence At Joseph Tarka 100th Inaugural Lecture

Vice-Chancellor of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JoSTUM), Makurdi, Prof. Isaac Itodo, has reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, research and scholarship as the university marked of its 100th Inaugural Lecture.

The milestone was marked recently at the Aper Aku Auditorium, Makurdi, at an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof. Terver Sombo of the Department of Physics, College of Physical Sciences.

The lecture, titled, “Physicus Sanitatis: The Cherubim Safeguarding Man and Planetary Home,” focused on the role of health physics in protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation while promoting its safe applications.

He said the achievement reflected the administration’s deliberate prioritisation of academic development and scholarship.

Itodo said when his administration assumed office, the university’s Inaugural Lecture series stood at 34, adding that the institution had now progressed to the 100th lecture in the last three years.

The vice-chancellor congratulated Sombo for delivering the landmark lecture and commended the Inaugural and Public Lectures Committee for sustaining the tempo and frequency of the lecture series under his administration.

He said the regular delivery of inaugural lectures provides members of the university community with opportunities to share scholarly contributions, advance knowledge and contribute to intellectual discourse on issues of importance to society.

The Vice-Chancellor further stated that steps had been taken by the administration to strengthen academic publishing and research visibility in the university.

He disclosed that the administration had successfully resuscitated the university’s Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology (JAST), while also providing a dedicated office for the journal.

According to him, the journal office building was expected to be completed within the month, noting that the facility would further support academic publishing and contribute to efforts aimed at improving the university’s academic ranking.

Delivering the lecture, Prof. Sombo called for stronger research collaboration, increased investment in modern technologies, improved radiation safety practices and greater government support for research and innovation.