BEST PAPER AWARD WON BY UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN AND DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AT THE 2025 WEEF & GEDC INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT DAEGU, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Collaboration between University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa won the best paper award at the 2025 World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF) and Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) Annual Conference at Daegu, Republic of Korea. The title of the winning collaborative paper is “Engineering Ethics in Experimental Research: A South-South Perspective on Deliberative Strategies and Institutional Management” authored by researchers from the Research Management Office, University of Ibadan, Nigeria and Department of Engineering, Durban University of Technology, South Africa. 

The 2025 WEEF and GEDC Conference was held from 21 to 25 September 2025 in Daegu, Republic of Korea with more than 800 participants in attendance from over 50 countries, making it a significant global event for the engineering community. It is known to be one of the world’s foremost gatherings for academia, industry, government and students.  The conference was co-hosted by Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and supported by various Korean government agencies and organisations, with the goal of contributing to the development of engineering education. The theme of the conference: “Engineering WE Need” was used as a platform to explore how engineering can address pressing global challenges such as sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI) and societal responsibility.

The paper, “Engineering Ethics in Experimental Research: A South-South Perspective on Deliberative Strategies and Institutional Management” specifically offers a critical examination of engineering ethics in experimental research, particularly within the Global South. This interdisciplinary collaboration between the Research Management Office/Research Ethics Unit, University of Ibadan and Department of Engineering/Institutional Research Ethics Committee, Durban University of Technology was aimed to underscore the power of South-South partnerships in advancing ethical and innovative engineering research, bearing in mind the University of Ibadan’s vision of being a world-class institution for academic excellence geared towards meeting societal needs. In this case, ethically considering the welfare and safety of the society.

The award-winning team of authors are:

University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

• Dr Olatunji Mukaila Iyiola, Research Management Office (Principal Research Administrator/Secretary, Animal Care and Use Research Ethics Committee).

Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

• Dr Nomcebo Mthombani, Interim Director, Research and Postgraduate Support.
• Professor Rendani Maladzhi, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.
• Professor Pfano Mashau, Director, DUT Business School and a Chair of the Institutional Research Ethics Committee.

The award is not only an acknowledgement of a paper or placing our universities at the forefront of international recognition, it also affirms the possibility and value of South-South collaboration, and workability of interdisciplinary partnerships. In addition, it reflects the University of Ibadan’s commitment to contributing solutions that are globally relevant and locally grounded, as the work responded to the needs of society with knowledge that is both timely and transformative. It is therefore recommended that engineering ethics education should be intensified, especially on potential serious ethical issues that may arise and have dangerous effects on the public while carrying out engineering projects.