Higher Education and Research Policy (HERP)

Overview

The Academy of Innovative Research, Science & Technological Development (AcIRSTD) provides policy advice across various aspects of the mission of higher education and supports the performance of the Nigerian higher education research system.

The Academy higher education and research policy encompasses the strategies and guidelines set by the Academy to advice governments or institutions on regulation and development, accessibility, and quality of post-secondary education, including research activities, aiming to address national needs and priorities while ensuring academic freedom and quality standards across universities and research centres.

The key aspects of AcIRSTD activities include funding mechanisms, quality assurance, research priorities, academic freedom, digital transformation, lifelong learning, governance structures, stakeholder engagement, curriculum development, research priorities, international collaborations, data-driven decision making, and policies related to student access, faculty recruitment, and intellectual property management.

Our higher education and research policy work supports the higher education sector in several ways, from helping to identify the funding needs of higher education institutions to understanding how best to support greater equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education.

We identify and discuss changes in the research environment, culture, practices and policies from the perspective of researchers in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. In particular, we are committed to the development of the next generation of talent, and to promoting the value of interdisciplinary research.

Policy Recommendations to the Government

The Academy of Innovative Research, Science & Technological Development (AcIRSTD) provides policymakers with its specialized and trustworthy views and advice of scientists, technologists and innovators. Recommendations issued by AcIRSTD thus result far in the implementation of various policies that include establishing clear pathways for translating scientific discoveries into technological applications, fostering collaborations between academia, industry, and government, promoting scientific literacy among the public, and continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the policy to make necessary adjustments based on emerging needs and priorities .

And today, each of the AcIRSTD committees is holding energetic discussions that lead to the announcement of the Code of Conduct for Scientists and other achievements. AcIRSTD also promptly expresses its opinions on urgent issues available to the public in the form of the President's remarks or comments.

Raising Public Awareness of the Roles of Science

The need to raise awareness and greater understanding of science is now overwhelming, as we all live in an increasingly scientific and technological world. The advent of the information revolution, driven by information technology, further requires members of society to be better informed of science and technological advance. Schools, colleges and universities obviously have a major role to play in this endeavour, but with the need now for lifelong learning, other agencies must be involved, and that most certainly includes the mass media.

AcIRSTD holds public lectures and symposia in order to return to the public the results of scientific and academic researches.