Al-Qalam University pays attention to effective research – VC

What was the idea behind establishing Al-Qalam University? The university was founded in 2002 through the effort of the Katsina Islamic Foundation to offer opportunities to prospective students from Katsina. Then, there was no university in the state. As a center of learning, the university is mandated to promote teaching, research and community service. As […]

What was the idea behind establishing Al-Qalam University?
The university was founded in 2002 through the effort of the Katsina Islamic Foundation to offer opportunities to prospective students from Katsina. Then, there was no university in the state.
As a center of learning, the university is mandated to promote teaching, research and community service. As the guardian of societal conscience, the university seeks to promote and safeguard the values, virtues and ideals of the society and the Nigerian nation. The university strives towards academic excellence by stimulating cross-fertilization of ideas through linkages, affiliations, and staff and students exchanges with other universities and research institutions all over the world.
In line with its philosophy of promoting both moral upbringing and learning, the university intends to provide an environment, conducive for study and learning, and the development of a balanced personality of its students. The university aims to improve access to quality university education, and assist in the development of the country, by placing emphasis on science-based courses and production of good quality manpower in areas identified by government.
In order to reinforce its aims and objectives, the university’s Board of Trustees changed the name from Katsina University Katsina, to Al-Qalam University Katsina in June 2014. The name “Al-Qalam” which means ‘The Pen” was adopted from the Holy Qur’an Chapter 68 verse 1 and Chapter 96 verse 4. Knowledge is attained first, through the skill of writing among other skills. The pen as a symbol of education and learning indicates the importance Islam places on education. 

What will you say are the university’s achievements so far?
We presently enroll 4,500 students and we have accredited 22 degree courses with 150-strong staff. Recently we got the nod of the NUC to offer postgraduate programmes in Arabic and Islamic studies. In 2014, the Yar’adua Education Foundation honored the university for its Earnest Contribution to educational development of not only Katsina State, but also Nigeria as a whole. Same year, the Centre for Self Values Orientation presented an award to this institution as one of the first 20 most ethically responsible universities in Nigeria.
The university creates proper academic culture by putting in place a vibrant culture of intellectual discourse. AUK is aware that it is not enough for its staff to interact just to talk to themselves or limit the exchange of ideas among themselves. They also need to know what their counterparts in other universities are doing. Training and re-training of staff is carried out to ensure that every staff is equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills for excellent performance. A number of academic and non-academic staff have attended short courses, conferences, workshops and seminars in Nigeria and abroad. The university was a co-host of the Third International Conference on Islamic Universities and fully participated at the conference on August 18-20, 2015 held at Bayero University Kano. The Department of Islamic Studies jointly organized a conference with the Islamic Education Trust, Minna in 2014.
In order to bring town and gown together, the university invites renowned individuals to present public lectures on topical issues from Islamic perspectives. Such lectures are attended by all members of the society including traditional rulers, business men, farmers, technocrats, teachers, students and ordinary people.
In its effort to provide conducive teaching and learning environment as well as ensure quality graduates to the society, the university between 2013 and 2015 renovated and equipped the library and sports field, constructed and furnished thirty six additional staff offices, renovated seven buildings and replaced old furniture. The university also constructed bore holes to ensure constant water supply and purchased water tanker for water supply to students in case of eventuality. For the provision of quality health care, the university entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with a National Health Insurance Scheme Company. The university also has a state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology building.

Have you encountered any challenge?
Our current challenges include shortage of infrastructures, buildings especially, renovation of existing ones and procurement of additional equipment and consumables for science laboratories, lecture halls, staff offices and student’s hostels, among others. Other challenges revolve around achieving academic excellence in terms of quality assurance of our programmes.
The university is gradually progressing in line with the development. It is our desire to ensure that all possible areas of cooperation between Al-Qalam University and Islamic Development Bank are fully exploited. We are interested in offering training on Islamic Banking and Finance which we hope the bank will help us to develop.  In a bid to tap from international linkages, we have signed agreements with seven foreign universities on exchange programmes for students and staff.