Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa and a Nigerian delegation toured hands-on labs, met with Harrisburg University leaders and students, and discussed transnational education opportunities.
HARRISBURG, PA — Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) hosted Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, Nigeria’s minister of education, and a Nigerian delegation on Friday, September 18, 2026, for a campus visit focused on transnational education partnerships between the University and Nigerian universities.
During the visit, the delegation toured the University’s hands-on STEM laboratories and applied learning facilities in downtown Harrisburg. HU students led demonstrations in advanced manufacturing and robotics, cybersecurity, data analytics, biotechnology, health sciences, and interactive media, showing how the University pairs classroom instruction with research, experimentation, and real-world problem-solving.
“It was a privilege to welcome Minister Alausa and the Nigerian delegation to Harrisburg University and to share our approach to applied, hands-on STEM education,” said Dr. Christopher M. Reber, president of Harrisburg University. “Our students did what they do every day: they showed how classroom learning becomes real-world problem-solving in robotics, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and health sciences. We share the minister’s belief that international partnerships should go beyond degrees to build faculty expertise, research capacity, and the practical skills employers need. We look forward to continuing these conversations and exploring how the University can support Nigeria’s students and universities.”
Alausa met with Reber and senior University leaders to discuss how Nigeria’s transnational education framework, established through the country’s National Universities Commission, could connect Nigerian institutions with international partners. The framework allows for arrangements including joint and twinning degree programs, articulation agreements, online and blended learning, joint research, and faculty and student exchange.
“Transnational Education should go beyond access to foreign qualifications,” Alausa said, adding that such partnerships should also advance knowledge exchange, research and innovation, faculty development, technology transfer, and stronger ties between universities and industry.
Areas of potential collaboration discussed during the visit included artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, robotics, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and health sciences: fields central to HU’s STEM curriculum and Pennsylvania’s competitiveness.
“Partnerships in these fields have the potential to strengthen laboratory-based learning, build faculty capacity, expand research opportunities, and equip Nigerian graduates with practical skills aligned with industry requirements and the demands of the digital economy,” Alausa said.
The minister also met with Nigerian and other African students at HU, emphasizing the importance of sustaining academic and cultural connections between African students and institutions on the continent. The conversation reflected the theme of the 2026 African Cultural Festival, “The Great Reunion: Culture, Education, and Collaboration,” which brought Alausa to the Harrisburg region.
The visit took place ahead of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as part of the Federal Ministry of Education’s broader effort to build international academic partnerships.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is an independent, nonprofit university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, offering degrees in advanced manufacturing, analytics, biotechnology, cybersecurity, nursing, and other STEM fields. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, HU serves a diverse student body through bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs that link research with practical application. Learn more at HarrisburgU.edu or contact us at Connect@HarrisburgU.edu or 717.901.5146 for more information about HU’s degree and professional development programs. Stay in the know by following Harrisburg University on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
MEDIA CONTACT
Do you have questions about this story? Interested in lining up an interview? Contact Dan Wilhelm, Director of Communications for Harrisburg University, at 717.901.5100 ext. 1724 or DWilhelm@HarrisburgU.edu.
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