The College of Postgraduate Studies, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), has organised a one-day workshop for postgraduate students as part of efforts to strengthen research capacity, promote academic excellence and equip emerging scholars with the requisite skills for successful postgraduate studies.

The workshop, held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the Senate Chambers of the University, brought together postgraduate students and seasoned academics who facilitated discussions on critical aspects of postgraduate research, academic writing, research funding and effective supervision.

Declaring the University’s commitment to strengthening postgraduate education, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Daniel Nwachukwu, who was represented by the Provost of the College, Prof Nwabueze Elom, in his address, emphasized the importance of quality research as a fundamental pillar of university development and national advancement.

He noted that postgraduate education goes beyond the acquisition of academic qualifications, stressing that it should produce critical thinkers, innovative researchers and problem-solvers capable of addressing contemporary societal challenges.

The Vice-Chancellor encouraged the participants to approach their academic work with seriousness, discipline, intellectual curiosity and a strong commitment to excellence. He further urged them to take advantage of the wealth of experience of the resource persons and translate the knowledge gained into meaningful academic outputs.

Earlier In his opening remarks, the Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Nwabueze Elom, described the workshop as a strategic intervention designed to address some of the challenges confronting postgraduate students in their academic pursuits.

 

He observed that successful postgraduate education requires more than admission into a programme, explaining that students must acquire the appropriate research skills, maintain productive relationships with their supervisors and demonstrate commitment to the timely completion of their programmes.

While expressing confidence that the workshop would broaden their understanding of research processes and improve their overall academic performance, Prof. Elom, urged participants to pay close attention to the presentations and make effective use of the opportunity.

The workshop featured six technical presentations covering different dimensions of postgraduate research.

The first presentation, titled “Data Generation, Treatment and Publication,” was delivered by Prof. Abel Ezeoha, who discussed the importance of appropriate data collection, processing, analysis and presentation in producing credible and publishable research findings.

 

Engr. Dr. Ngozi Eli-Chukwu  took the participants on “Postgraduate Research in the AI Era,” examining the growing influence of artificial intelligence on research and the opportunities it presents for improving research processes and academic productivity.

 

Others include, Prof  Ikechukwu Aghamelu, Dean, Faculty of Physical Sciences, who spoke on “Timely Completion of Postgraduate Programme,” highlighting the need for proper planning, effective time management, determination and adherence to academic requirements to ensure successful and timely completion of postgraduate studies.

 

Prof. Albert Okorocha of the Department of Physiology underscored the importance of mutual respect, effective communication, constructive feedback and clearly defined academic expectations in fostering productive relationships between supervisors and postgraduate students.

 

While, Dr. Ademola  Famurewa, Acting Head of Department, Medical Biochemistry, who spoke on “Sourcing and Writing Grrants, exposed participants to opportunities for research funding and highlighted the essential considerations involved in identifying grant opportunities and preparing competitive research proposals.

 

The final presentation of the program titled “Procedure for Writing Synopsis,” was delivered by Prof. F.A. Akwara, Deputy Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies. He provided insights into the appropriate structure, organization and essential components of a postgraduate research synopsis.

 

These presentations provided participants with practical insights into the demands of contemporary research, particularly the need for methodological rigour, ethical research practices, effective academic collaboration and the ability to communicate research findings to the wider scholarly community.

In his appreciation remarks, Prof. Elom thanked the resource persons for sharing their knowledge and experience, while commending the University Management for its continued support of postgraduate education. He also encouraged the students to apply the lessons from the workshop to their respective research activities.

The workshop reaffirms the College’s commitment to producing competent, innovative and research-driven scholars equipped to make meaningful contributions to knowledge and societal development.