Reading time:4 min read

Vox Pop: Students Imagine Their Departments as People

In this vox pop, students share what their departments would be like if they were people. Below are their responses.

“If my department were to be a person, it would be someone who is always curious about animals. A person who wants to know how they are related, and how they are adaptive to different environments."

— Abdulsalam Akinyemi, Department of Zoology

“If my department were a person, it would be a rugged problem-solver in boots, innovative, earthy, and always fixing things to feed the world. Practical yet brilliant."

— Maryam Yekeen, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering

"If my department, Biochemistry, were a person, it would be someone deeply curious, analytical, and hardworking, always eager to uncover hidden details and solve complex problems. It would also be innovative and resilient, balancing science with creativity to improve lives and understand the chemistry of living things."

— Monsuroh Ige, Department of Biochemistry

“If my department were a person, it would be a tired but very smart person. You would always see them carrying a big T-square as if they were going to war. They survive on garri and groundnuts in the studio at midnight, and they hardly get enough sleep. Whenever they just want a little time to read a novel or watch a film, a lecturer suddenly appears with unexpected criticism: ‘Your concept is weak!’ Meanwhile, they are only trying their best."

— Bilqis Lawal, Department of Architecture

“If my department were a person, it would be a curious, well-rounded storyteller with a weathered map in hand, endlessly fascinated by connection, why cities grow here, rivers bend there and make the complex world feel personal and immediate."

— Ahmad Rafiu, Department of Geography

"If my department were a person, it would be a very intelligent, curious, and hardworking individual. It would always ask questions and search for answers to problems around the world. It would enjoy carrying out experiments and making discoveries and learning new things every day. If my department were a person, it would always encourage others to develop practical skills, think critically and make use of technology for education. It would be friendly and supportive, helping students understand complex scientific concepts in simple and practical ways. In addition, it would be curious and adaptable, always ready to learn new methods and innovations that can improve teaching, learning and human life. In general, it would encourage others to think critically and creatively and also inspire people to be observant and open-minded in understanding nature and the environment.”

— Waliyat Ogunlowo, Department of Science and Technology Education

“If my department, Geology, were a person, it would probably be that person that looks calm on the outside but has plenty going on underneath. Always travelling, always dirty from fieldwork, stressing over rocks that look the same to everyone else, but somehow still enjoying it."

— Hassan Ganiyu, Department of Geology

"If my department were a person, it would be a tall, disciplined, and strict person. He stresses his students like a normal routine and gives long assignments that steal their whole day and still expects them to meet deadlines. He doesn't care whether they are tired or stressed or confused, because he believes stress is part of training. He believes lectures without practice are nothing. He wants them to be ready for real-life problems.”

— Abubakry Amobi Qasim, Department of Civil Engineering