A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Science and Information Technology (COSIT), Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASFUED), Ijagun and an alumna, Dr Abosede Adejoke Badeji, has secured the highly competitive ASESMANET Intra-Africa Mobility Grant, supported by the External Activities Unit (EAU) of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy.
The grant will enable Dr Badeji to undertake an advanced research visit to the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC), Cape Town, South Africa, where she will access high-performance computing resources and collaborate with experts in computational materials science.
Her research focuses on TiO₂/CuO heterointerfaces for fuel-cell catalysis, with emphasis on using advanced computational approaches to investigate and optimise the structural and electronic properties of the materials for potential applications in catalytic processes related to clean and sustainable energy technologies.
Congratulating Dr Badeji on the achievement, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Oladipo, MNPA, CMCPN, MCAN, FIELPN, described the grant as more than an award, noting that it recognised scholarly competence, research potential, and the growing international visibility of academics at the University. He said the achievement stressed the importance of building a university where academics contribute to creating new knowledge, address contemporary challenges, and compete successfully for opportunities beyond Nigeria.
Prof. Oladipo disclosed that the research mobility programme had the potential to generate benefits extending beyond the duration of the visit, particularly through the strengthening of Dr Badeji’s capacity for advanced computational research, international collaboration, joint publications and future competitive grant applications. He added that the programme would also foster stronger research linkages between scholars and institutions in Nigeria and South Africa.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Badeji’s expertise in Physical Chemistry and Computational Chemistry, including density functional theory, molecular modelling, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, reflects the depth of research talent within the University. He noted that her work demonstrated how university scholarship could contribute to broader conversations on energy sustainability, technological innovation and global development.
Prof. Oladipo further encouraged other members of the academic community to draw inspiration from the achievement by identifying important research problems, developing strong research ideas, collaborating across disciplines and institutions, publishing strategically and seeking competitive international opportunities. He emphasised that research should not be regarded merely as an academic obligation but as an instrument for institutional and societal transformation.
The Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to making research, innovation, international collaboration and academic excellence central to the growth of TASFUED.
He observed that every international grant won by a TASFUED scholar expands the intellectual footprint of the University, creates new possibilities for students and strengthens the institution’s contribution to national and global development.
He congratulated Dr Badeji once again, expressing the hope that the research mobility would deepen her scholarship, expand her international collaborations and generate discoveries that would contribute meaningfully to sustainable energy research. He described the achievement as a personal triumph for Dr Badeji, a Departmental honour and a source of pride for TASFUED.
