Kaduna State University (KASU), through the College of Communication, Management, and Social Sciences (CCM&SS), organized a two-day workshop on theses and dissertation supervision for academic staff from Lecturer II and above. The workshop, held on March 19–20, 2025, aimed to enhance postgraduate research supervision by equipping lecturers with best practices for guiding students effectively.
In his remarks, the Provost of CCM&SS, Prof. Gimba V. Kyari, described the workshop as the first of its kind and encouraged participants to share innovative ideas. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi I. Musa, commended the initiative, reaffirming his confidence in the faculty’s commitment to academic excellence. He emphasized three essential principles for academic growth: learning, unlearning, and relearning. Additionally, he distinguished between supervision and mentorship, stressing that while both are essential, mentorship requires deeper academic engagement beyond thesis guidance. He urged lecturers to develop a clear research focus aligned with their professional goals, emphasizing that a strong research project should begin with a research problem rather than just a topic.
The Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), Prof. Sadiq Abdu Garba, spoke on effective supervisor-supervisee communication, record-keeping, and time management. He highlighted the importance of structured feedback and proper documentation to enhance research outcomes.
Dr. Stephen James, Director of the Institute for Science, Technology, and Management Studies (ISTMS), stressed the need for structuring research effectively by developing a table of contents, a work plan, and a strong thesis statement, as well as leveraging technology for supervision.
Dr. Rahilatu Muhammad, the Dean, Faculty of Management Science provided insights into research structuring, thesis chapters, and the relevance of studies. She guided participants on differentiating and justifying their research contributions.
Throughout the workshop, facilitators underscored the need for:
Mutual selection between supervisors and students to ensure compatibility and academic productivity.
Structured feedback mechanisms with regular communication and scheduled meetings.
Plagiarism prevention and academic integrity, emphasizing proper citation and originality.
Ethical supervision practices to foster positive research environments and academic excellence.
The workshop concluded with an interactive session where participants discussed research challenges and supervision best practices. The event reinforced the importance of adopting global supervision standards and maintaining a student-centered approach in postgraduate research. By implementing these principles, lecturers at KASU can significantly improve research quality, contributing to the university’s overall academic excellence.