The Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya, has advised newly admitted students of the institution to be future-ready and deliberately shape the kind of future they desire. He gave the charge at the matriculation ceremony for first-year and direct entry students.

Odusanya described the ceremony as the formal commencement of the students’ undergraduate training and a defining moment in their academic journey.

Urging them to confront the uncertainties of the future, the Vice-Chancellor encouraged the students to actively create opportunities for themselves, noting that progress is driven by individuals who dare to imagine and build what does not yet exist.

“The way to take uncertainty out of the future is to create the future you genuinely want. I urge you, therefore, to be future-ready undergraduates. I urge you to think of many things and create in this digital age, because many others created the future we now live in,” he said.

Drawing inspiration from history, Odusanya cited the moonshot ambition of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, as an example of visionary leadership.

He added that the digital age presents Nigerian students with unprecedented access to tools for innovation and problem-solving. He warned the new students against behaviours that could derail their academic pursuits, including cultism, indecent dressing, absenteeism, drug abuse and wrong associations, stressing that such vices do not contribute to building a positive future.

The vice-chancellor advised the students to take their studies seriously by attending lectures punctually, engaging fully in practical sessions, maintaining discipline, and staying connected with their parents while ensuring they are traceable at all times.

He also emphasised the importance of acquiring relevant skills, competencies and innovative thinking that would make graduates market-ready and nationally relevant.

“A degree may just be a piece of paper, but the skills, the competencies, the knowledge that you should bring to it will define what you get out of that degree,” he said.

He encouraged the students to look beyond the classroom and begin to conceive solutions to national and global challenges, suggesting areas such as technology, engineering and medical research.