By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), in collaboration with the College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), has partnered on scholarship and training programmes.
The themes of the programme are titled: “Implementing Ethical AI in Academic Writing and Research”, and “Digital Pedagogy for Higher Education Teachers”.
Speaking on the sidelines of the training, the Provost of CAILS, Dr Sa’ad Hadi stated that the programme is jointly organised by the institution and the Centre for Continuing Education of the Faculty of Philology, RUDN University, Russia.
He explained that this reflects shared commitment to academic excellence, global engagement, and continuous professional development.
“It also demonstrates the growing relevance of international collaboration in addressing contemporary challenges in higher education,” he said.
Hadi observed that the two carefully selected themes for the training are timely and strategic, addping that the first one addresses one of the most critical issues confronting modern scholarship.
“As Artificial Intelligence increasingly shapes research and academic writing, it is imperative that its use is guided by ethics, integrity, and responsibility, in line with both global best practices and our moral and intellectual traditions,” he said.
Speaking on the second theme entitled, “Digital Pedagogy for Higher Education Teachers,” the Provost explained that it speaks directly to the evolving nature of teaching and learning in the digital age.
“Effective digital pedagogy is no longer optional; it is essential for enhancing student engagement, improving learning outcomes, and ensuring that our institutions remain relevant in a rapidly changing academic environment,” he said.
Hadi commended RUDN for the fruitful collaboration, as well as the facilitators for sharing in their wealth of knowledge.
Also speaking, An Associate Professor from RUDN, Dr Mustafa Muhammed-Jamiu explained that the scholarship programme is conducted annually by RUDN for professionals both in academic and non-academic arena.
According to him, RUDN is organizing the scholarship programme in five higher institutions in Kwara, including University of Ilorin, Kwara State Polytechnic, Thomas Adewumi University and Kwara State University (KWASU) and CAILS.
Jamiu disclosed that over 700 participants benefitted from the scholarship programme in the State.
“The programme is to help upscale professionals and also harmonies with them in raising the bar,” he said.
Jamiu noted that the scholarship is the 2026 Cohorts with three different courses.
According to him, there are tools that can be utilised in in working ethically with AI.
He pointed out that journalists also benefited in the programme on “Entrepreneurial Journalism in Algorithm System”.
“Journalists can be independent and also be on their own and learn how to outsource their skills.
“They become service and product themselves, so they can go beyond just serving one person,” he said.
