It has been said, and rightly too, that to understand the culture and values of a people you need to listen to their adages. In Igbo cosmology, Ọje mba enwe ilo is one of such adages. It literally means ‘he/she that journeys to foreign land should strive not to court enemies’. The meaning could be different in the many dialects of Igbo but the concept remains the same.
It explains the Igbo adventurism; his capacity to adapt, patiently understudy, acclimatize and carve a niche for himself or herself in a foreign land.
This philosophy, no doubt, underscores the news that Professor Charles Egbu, from Abatete, Idemili North LGA, Anambra State has been appointed the Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, Horsforth, UK. Prof. Egbu who will resume at Leeds in November 2020 thus becomes the first black Vice Chancellor of a UK university. He will be taking over from Professor Margaret A. House who is stepping down after seven years as Vice-Chancellor.
With more than 25 years’ experience in higher education, Prof. Egbu was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Experience at the University of East London, where he was responsible for student experience, student success, student retention, quality assurance and enhancement, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, and the Students’ Union. Professor Egbu was also the Dean of the School of Built Environment and Architecture at London South Bank University and Head of the School of Built Environment at the University of Salford, and held academic posts at University College London, Glasgow Caledonian University and Leeds Beckett University (formerly Leeds Metropolitan).
“I am honored to be joining Leeds Trinity; a university who’s values and ethos around widening participation, offering a personalised approach and encouraging all students to achieve their best, align with my own. The university has an impressive track record in learning, teaching and employability, and I am looking forward to building on the strong foundations established under the leadership of Professor House”, Egbu said in an interview announcing his appointment on the university’s website. Leeds Trinity University is one of UK’s top 25 universities.
•Source: Facebook
