Dr Babatunde Fagbayibo (Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law: College of Law) is one of the recipients of the 2012 Principal’s Award for Excellence in Research. He will receive his award during this year’s Research and Innovation Week (11–15 March).
Unisa’s vision to be the African university in the service of humanity, places on it an obligation to ensure that it is an incubator of research and innovation activities that provide solutions to issues affecting South Africa and the continent.
Dr Babatunde Fagbayibo, from the Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law in the College of Law, shared this view with eNews during this year’s Research and Innovation Week (11–15 March). The purpose of this week is to provide a platform for cross-disciplinary engagements by Unisa researchers, networking, and the showcasing of the various Unisa research programmes and flagships.
With Unisa commemorating 140 years of shaping futures in Africa, the university continues to transform, moving from an institution focused on tutoring and very little research, to one that has become a leading African open distance learning (ODL) university with a strong emphasis on community engagement, teaching and research. Therefore, international speakers will also share their expertise during Research and Innovation Week.
The main objectives are for Unisa to expand research collaborations with research intensive organisations and BRICS countries and also to provide a platform for institutions to display their innovation initiatives. The week is designed to encourage Unisa staff to enhance their ability and effectiveness to engage in research. This year the week will be divided into four exciting themes – Monday, Nation Research and Innovation; Tuesday, Humanities at the core of innovation; Wednesday, Postdoctoral career path: Humanities at the core; and Thursday, ODL: Innovating access in higher education.
Fagbayibo said given Unisa’s vision, and its research goals and targets, the many activities hosted by the university aimed at strengthening research are a step in the right direction. He highlighted partnerships with other African universities and said it was vital for Unisa to continue and build upon these partnerships as this is a positive development towards alleviating Africa’s challenges. He suggested that all current positive research development initiatives be further enhanced through measures which position Unisa’s research centres and institutes at the heart of the design of national and regional policy measures. “This (policy planning and implementation) is where research from Unisa can impact and make a difference,” he said.
Regional integration in Africa
As the recipient of the 2012 Principal’s Award for Excellence in Research, Fagbayibo obtained his LLB degree from Unisa and his LLM and LLD degrees from the University of Pretoria. His research interests include the African Union, public international law, regional integration law, international institutions, and good governance and democratisation in Africa. He is a member of the International Law Association, the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers and the South African Institute of International Affairs.
In 2012, his research generally focused on regional integration in Africa, more specifically, continental integration. “The research projects mainly looked at policy issues around the strengthening of the African Union (AU), so that it could be the veritable vehicle for driving continental integration in Africa. The research looked at the African Union Commission and how it can be strengthened as the engine room of continental integration. It also considered the importance of adherence to shared values by member states of the AU, as an important ingredient of the attainment of the desired continental integration.”
Fagbayibo sees a viable integration process as the answer to the many problems facing Africa. And his focus on the institutional dimension of the process is predicated on the view that an effective administrative and political transnational mechanism can play a huge role in achieving the objectives of uniting and enhancing the development of the African continent. “A strengthened AU is thus central to the harmonisation of laws and the general political and economic development of the African continent.”
Unisa, he said, is at the core of academic and research activities that promote and enhance the overall development of the African continent. “My research activities are thus guided by this important task, firstly as an African and secondly as an employee of Unisa. As my research outputs indicate my affiliation with Unisa, the intention is to highlight the seriousness of the institution in not only supporting research activities but also fulfilling its role as the African university in the service of humanity.”
In 2013, Fagbayibo’s research activities will still centre on regional integration. “I am currently working on issues relating to how regional hegemons like South Africa and Nigeria can play a better role in enhancing the regional integration process, and how democratic governance can be better enhanced on the continent. The latter point focuses on how to place adherence to democratic values at the centre of the integration process.”
Xenophobia and Unisa staff
He also addressed the issue of xenophobia in South Africa, and said Unisa staff can help in addressing this problem. “As an institution that prides itself as the African university in the service of humanity, it is imperative that Unisa staff see themselves as ambassadors of this goal. Through their professional and personal engagements, staff members should be actively involved in activities that promote tolerance and unity on the continent. More efforts should be geared towards research outputs, community engagements, awareness campaigns, seminars and workshops that highlight the essence of togetherness and promotion of African unity.”
Fagbayibo said he is “very happy” to be recognised by Unisa for his research activities because it not only shows the premium placed on research and innovation at Unisa; but it also serves as a motivation for himself and other academics to continue engaging in vital and essential research.
*Written by Rivonia Naidu-Hoffmeester
