Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State, has challenged scholars and researchers to move beyond theories and academic publications by developing technology-driven solutions capable of addressing the growing challenges confronting humanity.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adenike Kuku, gave the charge at the maiden Kings University Interdisciplinary Conference (KUIC 2026), held from September 2 to 4, with the theme, ‘Sustainable Futures Beyond 2030: Technological Breakthroughs, Environmental Action, and Social Transformation.’
The three-day conference, which formed part of activities marking the university’s 10th anniversary, brought together scholars, researchers, educators, industry experts and thought leaders from Nigeria and beyond to examine practical pathways to sustainable development beyond 2030.
In her welcome address, Kuku said the world was confronted with increasingly complex challenges, including climate change, technological disruption, inequality, food insecurity, disease outbreaks and rapid social transformation, which could no longer be adequately addressed through isolated academic disciplines.
She called for stronger collaboration among the sciences, social sciences, humanities, technology, business, engineering and other fields, stressing that the convergence of expertise was critical to producing innovative and sustainable solutions to global problems.
The Vice-Chancellor said KUIC 2026 was deliberately designed to encourage researchers to take scholarship beyond theories and publications and translate their findings into actionable policies, market-ready innovations and practical interventions capable of improving lives and contributing to national development.
Kuku, who described the conference as a significant milestone in the university’s first decade, also urged researchers, lecturers and students to use the platform to establish networks and partnerships that would outlive the three-day event and produce tangible benefits for communities and society.
The conference featured distinguished keynote speakers, including Professor Christian Happi, Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer’s University, Nigeria; Dr Navneet Kaur, Executive Director of ICERT, India and the United States; and Dr Ilia Stambler of Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
Happi, in his presentation, highlighted the transformative role of genomic technology in public health, particularly genomic surveillance, rapid pathogen identification and the development of field-deployable diagnostic tools.
He also called for stronger African scientific capacity and encouraged researchers to develop creative and innovative solutions to problems affecting their immediate environments.
Dr Kaur, in her presentation on the future of education, advocated learning communities that are happy, mindful, resilient, skilful and prepared for the demands of the future.
She identified psychosocial intelligence, emotional regulation, resilience, a sense of belonging and empowered teachers as essential elements of future-ready education.
Stambler, while examining the longevity economy, explored the scientific, social, economic and policy implications of increasing human lifespan.
He stressed the need for greater attention to healthy ageing, longevity research, public policy and international cooperation as societies grapple with changing demographic realities.
The plenary sessions further expanded the discussions, with Professor Olawale Emmanuel Olayide of the University of Ibadan examining sustainable development and the integration of data, education, technology, environmental considerations, economics and governance.
Professor Kunle Michael Oluwasegun of the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, brought his expertise in materials science and engineering to the conference, highlighting the relationship between academic research, industrial innovation and practical solutions.
The conference also featured contributions from the Local Organising Committee Chairman, Dr Bankole, and the host of the conference, Dr Ajayi, who welcomed participants and underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex societal challenges.
Commending the keynote and plenary presentations, Kuku said researchers presented papers covering climate-resilient agriculture and food security, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, aviation technology, antimicrobial resistance, biotechnology, One Health, environmental sustainability, economics, governance, historical preservation and social development.
According to her, ‘One of the studies proposed an artificial intelligence-driven framework for integrating environmental, clinical, genomic and geospatial intelligence to strengthen antimicrobial-resistance surveillance and improve health decision-making in Africa.’
She added: ‘Other presentations examined indigenous crops and climate resilience, digitalisation in aviation maintenance and the preservation of Africa’s historical heritage through digital technologies.’
Participants also took part in physical and virtual oral presentations, exhibitions, networking and other knowledge-sharing activities before the conference culminated on September 4.
The gathering reinforced the message that challenges such as disease outbreaks, climate change, food insecurity, technological disruption, education and population ageing require collaboration across disciplines rather than isolated academic approaches.
The conference was organised as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of Kings University.