Thomas Adewumi University (TAU) successfully hosted the January edition of its prestigious KnowledgeX Series, kicking off the academic year with an insightful discussion on "Strategic Goal Setting & Implementation for Holistic Academic Excellence in 2025." The event featured Professor Timothy O. Olanrewaju, a distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and a Global Health Scholar at Julius Global Health and Epidemiology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, as the Keynote Speaker.
Hosted by the Coordinator, Human Capacity Development, Dr. Samuel T. Farohunbi, the session brought together participants both in person and virtually. In his opening remarks, Dr. Farohunbi described the session as "the first TAU KnowledgeX in 2025; the first of its kind in 2025." He further extended his gratitude to the facilitator for accepting the invitation and setting the tone for the academic discussions, while also commending the Vice-Chancellor, for establishing the KnowledgeX Series as a platform for intellectual discourse.
Following the opening remarks, Prof. Olanrewaju’s impressive credentials were highlighted. He is a distinguished academic with over 90 published articles and 34 scientific papers presented at national and international conferences. He was also part of the team that conducted the first-ever kidney transplant at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. In addition to his academic achievements, he is an entrepreneur.
During his lecture, he emphasized on the role of strategic goals settings in academic field, describing it as "specific objectives that an individual or organization strives to accomplish" and categorized academic goals into teaching, research, service, and professional development.
Furthermore, he outlined proven strategies for effective goal setting, advocating for self-assessment, alignment with institutional priorities, and the adoption of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals. To ensure successful execution, he emphasized the importance of action planning, resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and time management. He also introduced the Japanese philosophy of "1% improvement daily" as a method for sustained success.
In her closing remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Oladipo, commended Prof. Olanrewaju for delivering a session that resonated with participants and underscored the importance of the KnowledgeX Series. She reaffirmed TAU’s commitment to fostering intellectual discourse through this monthly platform, which facilitates the exchange of contemporary ideas applicable beyond technical academic topics.
With a strong beginning to the 2025 series, TAU continues to reinforce its dedication to promoting intellectual engagement and academic excellence.