The Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, has challenged postgraduate researchers and scholars to move beyond academic publications and transform their research findings into marketable products capable of driving economic growth and improving lives.
Zeb-Obipi, who spoke at the university’s 2nd Annual International Conference of the College of Postgraduate Studies on Tuesday, said research that remained on library shelves could not adequately address the complex challenges confronting society.
The conference, themed “Global Challenges, Local Solutions: Driving Inclusive Growth and Transformation Through Postgraduate Research,” brought together academics, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and development partners.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Blessing Jaja, the vice-chancellor said universities must increasingly position research as a catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial development.
He identified technological disruption, youth unemployment, energy transition, insecurity, climate change, public health concerns, food insecurity and widening socio-economic inequalities as challenges requiring innovative, multidisciplinary and evidence-based research.
According to him, researchers must strive to produce practical solutions, develop marketable products, influence public policy and create enterprises from their discoveries.
“Through rigorous scholarship and innovative research, we can transform ideas into products, research into enterprise, and knowledge into sustainable development outcomes,” he said.
Zeb-Obipi called for stronger partnerships between universities and industry, increased research funding, patent development and improved protection of intellectual property to accelerate the commercialisation of research discoveries.
He said RSU was committed to repositioning postgraduate education as a driver of technological advancement and economic transformation, urging conference participants to use the platform to establish strategic collaborations and research networks capable of addressing both local and global challenges.
The Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. T.K.S. Abam, said the university was deliberately shifting from a research culture driven primarily by publications to one focused on measurable societal impact.
Abam urged postgraduate researchers to develop locally relevant solutions to global challenges rather than relying excessively on imported models.
He said the university was transitioning into an entrepreneurial institution where laboratories and libraries would serve as innovation incubators, while postgraduate research would translate into patents, spin-offs, social enterprises and policy frameworks capable of creating jobs and promoting inclusive growth.
The chairman of the occasion and former RSU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barineme Fakae, also challenged postgraduate scholars to ensure that their research produced tangible solutions to societal problems and contributed to national development.
Fakae described postgraduate research as the engine of innovation and a bridge between knowledge, practice and societal transformation.
He urged researchers to confront emerging challenges with courage and develop solutions that were locally relevant, stressing that research should not end in academic journals but should make a measurable difference in society.
The conference also featured distinguished academics, including former vice-chancellors, Professors Idowu Olayinka and Joseph Ajienka, alongside Fakae. Zeb-Obipi commended the College of Postgraduate Studies for sustaining the annual conference, expressing optimism that its deliberations would generate practical recommendations, innovative solutions and enduring partnerships for sustainable development.