UNILAG ready to Introduce Post-Graduate Programmes in Digital Humanities
UNILAG ready to Introduce Post-Graduate Programmes in Digital Humanities
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is set to introduce Post-graduate Diploma (PGD), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes in Digital Humanities.
The initiative, spearheaded by the university’s Centre for Digital Humanities (CEDHUL) under the leadership of Prof. Babatunde Ope-Davies, has been approved by the UNILAG’s School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) and is expected to take off in the next academic session.
Founder and Director of CEDHUL, Professor Ope-Davies, disclosed this in an interview while describing the field of Digital Humanities as an interdisciplinary field that integrates computer technology methodologies into traditional humanities disciplines such as Philosophy, Literature, and History. He said the centre is the first of its kind in Africa.
According to him, “Our goal is to enhance the impact of traditional humanities by utilising technology to project, process, and share research outcomes with greater effectiveness.
Professor Ope-Davies said that his fascination with the potential of digital technologies to enhance the impact of humanities research shaped his career path and inspired the chain of events that led to the creation of graduate programmes to bring the benefits of Digital Humanities to Nigeria and Africa.
He also noted that beyond modernizing and improving humanities research capacities, the graduate programmes would enhance students’ skill sets, making them better suited for the job market and expanding possible paths for entrepreneurship.
He disclosed further that the programmes would be conducted in part virtually, where students will take in-class lectures while others take place online, noting that facilitating the online lectures will be possible through the Centre’s partnership with experts abroad.
UNILAG ready to Introduce Post-Graduate Programmes in Digital Humanities
“It’s a hybrid mode and of course, we are following the model of the University of Lagos postgraduate school because we are under them. They are the ones that have approved this for us.” Speaking of achievements, he pointed out that since its inception, the centre has held seminars to raise awareness of Digital Humanities among researchers and graduate students, created other centres in other universities within and beyond Nigeria, and collaborated with stakeholders to carry out research with high social-impact value,” he said.
Ope-Davies shared the centre’s plan to partner with organisations to organise a programme titled Pre-school Digital Entrepreneurship and Digital Culture in 2025, which aims to bring practitioners across industries to build digital culture and entrepreneurship skills.
