Inaugural Lecture; a Debt all Academics Must Pay - Prof Obi
By: Olanrewaju Babatunde
The University of Calabar Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, has urged fellow lecturers in the institution to prioritize the presentation of their inaugural lectures, saying it is a debt every professor must pay to the university.
She made the call during the institution’s 136th inaugural lecture, presented by Prof. Bassey Esu, a lecturer in the department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, yesterday in Calabar.
The BeagleNews reports that the inaugural lecture with the topic: Hospitality-Centric Philosophy: the Spirit and Soul of Destination Product and the Piggyback of Development, attracted many cutting across academics, the clergy, royal fathers among others.
According to Obi, who expressed satisfaction over the lecturer’s presentation, an inaugural lecture is not only a crucial academic exercise, but also a debt every professor must pay while in service to the university and the society.
The VC particularly charged senior lecturers in the university to brace up for their respective inaugural lectures, adding that it is an opportunity to brainstorm and proffer solution to societal challenges as well as inspire younger academics.
“Prof, congratulations for such a wonderful lecture. Let me remind our colleagues that inaugural lecture is a debt to the university every professor must pay.
“Please, senior professors, don’t wait and retire when you are owing the university; make your department, the university and your family proud by giving your inaugural lecture. This is an academic environment where we need to often come and interact on intellectual issues and proffer solution to societal challenges.
“So, there is nothing wrong if we gather here every two weeks and brainstorm. Please, lets’ make sure we step up the tempo on our inaugural lectures, Obi stated in part.
Earlier, in his presentation which attracted intermittent applauds from the audience, Prof Esu disclosed that the inaugural lecture was initially conceived in 2023, after a thorough, multi-theoretical examination of factors influencing destination development.
According to the Professor of Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Marketing and Management, at the end of the intellectual exercise, the importance of hospitality in destination development was considered crucial.
He said the lecture seeks to promote awareness of the dire role of destination hospitality orientation towards destination development as well as the responsibilities of researchers, professionals among other stakeholders in order to build sustainably developed communities.
