The first session of a series of lectures titled: “The Creativity Lecture Series”, held yesterday in a Zoom conference meeting attended by the Provost; Professor Olayinka O. Omigbodun and other notable personalities of the College of Medicine. The series which is to span a period of six sessions was set up as part of the ongoing curriculum revision process to encourage reflection and discussion among staff and students. The anchor of the series, Dr Bukky Owoseni is an artist, business intelligence analyst and a 2004 alumna of the College.
The session began at 4 pm with a welcome address from the Provost. Dr Owoseni thereafter proceeded to introduce the Creativity Lecture Series as a program consisting of six lectures, twelve ideas and one method. To illustrate the topic of the first lecture—In Search of the Unified Self—she asked the participants to imagine that they were executive assistants to different well-known individuals including former President, Olusegun Obasanjo. “Your role and your method would differ depending on who you’re passing your message across to”.
She went on to explain the philosophy of dualism using some artworks by the successful Nigerian artist, Erhabor Emokpae. “We are individuals with unique ideas, interests and styles in a collective. When we split ourselves into tiny fragments, we limit our ability to see our whole life”. She further reiterated the necessity of finding the relationship between things that are seemingly opposite and the importance of curiosity, imagination and creativity. She encouraged participants to find the connection between their unique talents and Medicine. “Doctors who are poetic may speak the language of compassion, those who are entrepreneurial will be excellent at managing resources”.
The session came to an end at 5:05 pm with a closing address by the Provost. The Provost linked the discussion with the ongoing curriculum revision; “A lot of the exams in medical school are MCQs. Even when they are essays, there is something specific expected from the student. Considering the current culture, we need to start thinking about how to breed creativity in our students which leads to innovation. There should be variety and equity in assessments”. The next lecture in the six-part series is slated for 4-5 pm on the 15th of December.
Aisha Ibrahim
