University of Uyo lecturers have been charged to take advantage of available opportunities in the digital world to make themselves visible among their contemporaries within and outside the country.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo gave the charge during a training workshop on Digital Humanities for lecturers on Wednesday organised by Faculty of Arts Digital Humanities Unit (DHuFArts) .
The Vice Chancellor who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, Prof. Anthony Udoh urged lecturers to go into collaboration that will boost their presence in digital world as well as that of the institution.
“I am happy about this workshop because everything in the world today has element of digital technology. This gathering will not only serve as a think-tank but will harness views that will assist the University.
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“I urge you all to use the knowledge gained at the work to establish collaboration not only within the University but outside world.
“The world is going digital and lecturers must go digital to stay abreast. The world can only see you through your work, from there you will sell the University to the world.”
In his opening remark, the Dean Faculty of Arts, Prof. Joseph Ushie explained that the aim of the workshop was to get lecturers trained on how to gather knowledge from rural areas and store them in a digital form and disseminate such information to the rest of the world.
He recalled that when he assumed office as Dean Faculty of Arts, he had set up a committee to collaborate with relevant bodies for training and opportunities, and expressed joy that digital humanities has come to stay in the University.
According to Ushie, “The essence of digital humanities is to gain global prominence. But then, the people must be trained to value digitalisation process.
“Participants for this workshop are drawn from all the departments that make up Faculty of Arts-two from each department, an older person and a younger one so that there is continuity.
“After these people are trained, there will be a mega workshop for all lecturers and probably some students in the faculty so that they become equipped to produce and disseminate their own knowledge to the world with ease and with huge profit.”
In his welcome address, the convener and coordinator Uyo Digital Humanities Training Workshop, DHuFArts, University of Uyo, Richard Ajah, PhD described the journey to digital humanities scholarship as tortuous and tiring in view of fact that Digital Humanities is the newest trend in humanities scholarship all over the world.
Ajah noted that the vision started with his trip to Oxford University in 2013 where he went to make a presentation on LitArt project called pictographic criticism, a combination of art and literature and where he was equally exposed to the rudiment of digital humanities.
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He added that from there, “proposals were made to different university managements for a capacity training of staff at the Digital Humanities Oxford Summer School (DHOSS), but regrettably the research team, put in place, couldn’t secure funding for this journey despite the fact that the proposals were highly commended and seen as a way of repositioning humanities scholarship in University of Uyo.
“It gives me joy that with the help of the Dean of Arts, Professor Joseph A. Ushie and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo the Digital Humanities Unit of the Faculty of Arts (DHUFARTS) was inaugurated few months ago and we are gathering here for the first capacity building in DH in the University of Uyo. Most of the speakers are drawn from the fellows and mentees of LSSDH who are now in different parts of the world (US, Canada, UK, France, etc).”
The convener expressed the belief that though the DHFARTS appears to be starting late, the Unit will do great academic exploits inline with the new university curriculum which he said has prescribed digital humanities courses for students of humanities.
The workshop featured training from resource persons within and outside Nigeria.
