29/10/2025
AEFUNAI EQUIPS POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISORS WITH CONTEMPORARY SKILLS TO FOSTER ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND TIMELY GRADUATION OF PG STUDENTS
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ebonyi State AE-FUNAI has taken a bold step in redefining the future of postgraduate training by equipping supervisors with contemporary skills and insights needed to foster academic excellence and timely completion of postgraduate programmes.
At a capacity-building workshop organized by the School of Postgraduate Studies of the university, scholars and experts emphasized the importance of integrity, mentorship, health, and innovations—highlighting the urgent need for reforms to strengthen supervision, improve research quality, and adapt to the realities of a changing academic world.
While declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Professor Sunday Elom, who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Education, Professor Sunday O. Abonyi, commended the School Postgraduate Studies for organizing such a workshop to enhance the capacities of supervisors for better training and supervision of the postgraduate students.
He also shed some light on the growing concern of delayed completion of postgraduate programmes, highlighting the institutional supervisor, and supervisee-related challenges that often hinder timely graduation, reiterating that rigid programme structures, inadequate infrastructure, and limited personnel are some of the key institutional obstacles that hinder postgraduate studies. He added that conflicts among supervisors, lack of integrity, and weak relationships contribute to prolonged students’ studies, while socio-economic pressures, poor time management, and motivational issues weigh heavily on supervisees.
In addressing these challenges, Abonyi stressed the need for systemic reforms and stronger collaboration across universities, and called for regular reviews of programme structures, improved resource management, and enhanced training for both faculty and students. He also emphasized the importance of integrity and mentorship among supervisors, alongside proactive time and financial management by students, and urged the supervisors to share responsibility in ensuring timely graduation, noting that the beauty and joy in every academic programme is timely completion.
The Dean School of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Nwabueze Elom, in a welcome remark said that the workshop was aimed at enhancing the supervisory skills of participants, focusing on effective leadership, communication, performance management and term development. He further stated that the workshop also provides practical tools and strategies for supervisors to better support their teams and meet the institution’s goal.
While also speaking, Professor Chukwunonso E.C.C. Ejike, described research as a solemn responsibility toward humanity, animals, and future generations. He emphasized that postgraduate supervisors are like foot soldiers, who must uphold truth, transparency, and integrity in knowledge creation, noting that supervisors should be seen as solving their supervisees’ problems in achieving the desired goals.
He pointed out some pressures driving unethical practices in postgraduate studies to include the pursuit of employment and grants to academic promotions, which often result in data manipulation, duplicate publications, and gift authorship. He therefore advised supervisors to safeguard their credibility by adhering to simple but vital practices, defining clear research questions, registering protocols, reducing bias, recording all activities, reporting results truthfully, and giving credit where due, stressing that those who have the privilege of engaging in knowledge creation must realize the weight of their calling and act ethically always, noting that without honesty in research, entire disciplines could collapse.
Also speaking at the thought-provoking event, the Acting Director of the Centre for Internationalization, Linkages, Advancement & Global Ranking, Dr. Peter C. Okoli, noted that virtual supervision is reshaping the landscape of postgraduate training, offering students and supervisors, new ways to connect across distance. Emphasizing on the rising adoption of remote oversight Okoli stated that since the COVID-19 pandemic, combining cost-effectiveness with wider access to expertise and increased flexibility, virtual supervision allows supervisors to transcend geographical barriers, adding that the approach also reduces stress for many students who benefit from support outside the constraints of constant in-person interaction.
Okoli stressed the importance of addressing its limitations, pointing out that reduced opportunities for direct observation, technology disruptions, and weaker interpersonal connections can hinder the supervisory process if not carefully managed. To counter these challenges, he recommended the integration of advanced tools like virtual and augmented reality, setting clear communication protocols, and maintaining structured feedback systems. He further urged universities to adopt hybrid models that balance digital and face-to-face engagement, ensuring that postgraduate training remains both rigorous and adaptive in an increasingly virtual academic world.
Delivering a lecture titled “Your Health and Postgraduate Supervision”, the Deputy Provost of the College of Medical Sciences, Rev. Professor Lawrence U. Ogbonnaya, noted that good health is the foundation of effective supervision, adding that postgraduate supervision, though rewarding, is demanding on mental, emotional, and physical levels, making it crucial for supervisors to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Highlighting key concerns for academics, he drew attention to physical risks such as hypertension and eye strain, mental challenges like stress and burnout, and social issues including isolation and family strain, and urged supervisors to prioritize regular medical check-ups, exercise, healthy diets, and stress management practices.
Ogbonnaya also called for AE-FUNAI to sustain institutional wellness programmes, peer mentoring, and workshops that support both supervisors and students, adding that healthy supervisors make healthy scholars, stressing that nurturing personal well-being directly enhances academic guidance and the overall postgraduate experience.
The Head of Physiology Department, Professor A. C. Okorocha, who spoke on Supervisor and Student Relationship, emphasized that effective supervision extends beyond guiding research projects; to fostering trust, communication, and mutual respect while equipping students with critical thinking and professional values. He added that strong relationship between supervisors and students has been shown to improve research productivity, reduce procrastination, and enhance psychological well-being, while poor supervision often leads to delays, stress, and weakened academic performance.
He further emphasized that supervision is a dynamic process requiring adaptability, with supervisors expected to shift from directive guidance toward mentorship as students mature in their research, noting that common challenges include mismatched expectations, workload pressures, cultural differences, and the complexities of online supervision.
Addressing the issue he recommends set
ting clear expectations from the outset, maintaining regular feedback, and providing pastoral support alongside academic guidance, and urged that institutions need to implement policies, provide training for supervisors, and strengthen student support services to ensure healthier, and more productive supervisory relationships.
