The Vice-Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, has been named as one of the Africa100 Changemakers of the Year 2022 and honoured with medallion by TimeAfrica.
In an articles published in its magazine, TimeAfrica described Prof Georgewill, an erudite scholar, academic colossus, pharmacologist and toxicologist extraordinaire whose research experiences are extensively expansive.
As the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, TimeAfrica says, “Professor Owunari Georgewill has been an outstanding Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, performing at the highest level across all areas of the Institution’s mission. His Vice-Chancellorship elevates the reputation of the university, and his contributions have been global in impact.
“He has moved the university to online education strategies; tapping into the digital revolution and adopting new technologies to help students reach their full potential. The University has become a game-changer resulting in a shift from teacher-centric education to student-centric education.
“Merely by taking office, he made history, he came fearless, strong and determined, armed with programmes that would set transformational agenda for a competitive University of Port Harcourt. He is relentless in championing quality academic research, education development, innovation and the University’s principal mission being to contribute to a better world,” the magazine stated.
Making the Vice Chancellor with Medal of Honour, on Monday, July 4, 2022, at the University, on behalf of the Board of the TimeAfrica, Editor-In-Chief of the Magazine, Chidi-Peters Okorie said Prof Georgewill is honored because of his highest level of excellence and achievement in his field, his impacts which have a lasting legacy in Nigeria, the continent and around the world.
He said “African’s Changemakers of the Year 2022, Africa100 and Medal of Honour is bestowed on Prof. Owunari based on three criteria: outstanding research, unusually effective teaching, and distinguished professorial service.
“Today he is given this Medal of Honour and listed among the Africa100 Changemakers due to his high impact performance and I hope that this Honour shall bring to Prof Georgewill a feeling of accomplishment and encourage him to move forward with increased confidence and strength,” he said.
He said the University of Port Harcourt has become Africa’s education game-changer, shifting from teacher-centric education to student-centric education noting that Prof Georgewill upon assumption of office, has made history through his fearless, strong, and determination, armed with programmes that have set transformational agenda for a competitive University of Port Harcourt.
He described Prof Georgewill as a reformer who has introduced several reforms programs that have brought the University management closer to staff, students, and stakeholders through
“Under Georgewill’s Vice Chancellorship, the university has made tremendous progress in areas of academic, international collaborations with universities in Africa and Europe as well as Canada and the US and has attracted government and international organizations in the infrastructural uplifting of the University”, he said.
He noted that from available records, the University is currently a construction ground for faculty buildings, hostel accommodation buildings, professorial offices buildings, staff offices buildings, classrooms, Lecture theaters, lecture auditoriums, solar power for power supply, academic excellence with the participation of staff and students in local and international conferences, workshops, seminars, and post-graduate training amongst others, and expressed the hope that these awards; the Medal of honor and Africa100, would spur him to a greater height by not relenting on his oars.
Responding, Professor Georgewill expressed appreciation to TimeAfrica for the recognition and dedicated the award to all men and women of goodwill striving for excellence in their various fields of endeavor and to God Almighty.
He said the journey so far has been interesting and revealed that he would use every opportunity at his disposal to present the university to the national and international levels and described himself as a servant who works along with other members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) and students to perform at optimally and develop the university.
He told his audience “Since my assumption of office on July 13th, 2021, justice and fair play has been my watchword, I provide equal opportunity for all irrespective of tribe, religion, or gender. I give high consideration to gender in all my appointments and maintained the rule of law in all my actions by the extant rules of the University”.
He assured the organization that he would not be scared to delve into uncharted waters saying that has been the conveyor belt that has enabled him to continue to thrive in leaps and bounds; creating an engaging environment to nurture academic growth and encourage a culture of research and development, teaching and learning as well as community service.