Dr. Andrew Fluck: A Surprise Expeditionary Visit to FUT Minna!

 If not for Sir Arthur Erdington the British scientist that set out for a scientific expedition to the coast of Africa under the funding of a British University to witness and captured the images of the solar eclipse, a relatively unknown German scientist Albert Einstein will probably not have been popular early in life. It was Erdington that first understood Einstein’s theory of relativity. It was he who proved to the world that Einstein’s theory of relativity was by far more accurate than what another British scientist Sir Isaac Newton earlier proposed decades ago. In what looks like a setback to them in the time of war, the Britain stood bold and announced the emergence of the new theory of relativity by Albert Einstein (the German). The story has it that, it was then the journalists rushed to Einstein’s house at Berlin and broke the news to him. In his own way of expressing joy and surprise, he opened his mouth wide with his tongue hanging-out (and that is the picture we see hanging all over the walls of our institutions of higher learning). Even though there were some correspondences between them,   Einstein never meets Erdington until a year later after the war had ended. And they had a legendry handshake!

When Mr. Olawale Adebayo of the Department of Cyber Security Science, Federal University of Technology Minna, called and asked me to join hands with him and co-author an academic paper based on e-exams security in Nigeria, I never hesitate. At that particular point in time it never occurred to any of us that it will be another reason for a repeat of another expedition to Africa. Actually, we are only looking for the points in case of promotion, but got more than that! We started the research by collating empirical data, analysed it and then came up with a better design for the e-exams system that will increase the security and the integrity of the e-exams results. The outcome of this research work was finally published in the special issue of the International Journal of the Computer, the Internet and Management (IJCIM) in Thailand, under the title “E- Exams System for Nigerian Universities with Emphasis on Security and Result Integrity”. This paper had been indexed and abstracted in many popular academic databases and online search engines including the popular GoogleScholar. Since then, a couple of guys that came across the paper online called or mailed either to enquire more about the research or to congratulate us on the achievement. But our biggest surprise was yet to come!

In another different world, Dr. Andrew Fluck of the University of Tasmania in Australia is also carrying out a similar research in the same area. He came across our paper online and he instantly picked interest in it. He read through the paper and was very impressed with the results we presented. I can imagine him thinking the same way Erdington thought when he first read the Einstein’s paper. I can imagine him wondering if this paper is actually coming from the third world. I can imagine him wondering if all our claims are actually true. I can imagine him thinking about the Hausa proverb that says “Gani ya kori ji” meaning “seeing is believing”. I can also imagine him discussing with his beautiful wife Filomena Bovino about a possible trip to Nigeria. There and then Andrew sent his first mail to Adebayo, and it reads:

            “Dear Dr. Adebayo,

I have read with interest your synthesis and recommendations for e-examinations in Nigeria. From what I have understood, most of these e-examinations are conducted fully online using the Maple Teaching Assistant server package.

I have also been developing an eExam System, which has been used on a far smaller scale than you describe. Please see www.eExams.org for details. By comparison, it allows students to use computers for supervised exams as part of their university assessment requirements. We see this as an essential step in transforming the curriculum with information technology.

On a forthcoming break from the University my wife and I are proposing to visit you in Minna. We hope to stay in Abuja from 20-23 November 2012, and I wonder if this would provide an opportunity for us to discuss these e-exam systems?

Looking to the future, I see a blended eExam system providing resilience in case of communication interruptions or power cuts.

Best wishes - Andrew”

Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (University of Tasmania, Australia)

Of cause what did you expect from young researchers that are just starting a career in academics? So, our response to his mail was very positive. We became very curious and anxious to receive him. Curiosity… they said “kills the cat”. Since then, so many other correspondences also took place between us. True to his words, he crossed the Pacific Ocean, the river Nile, the mountain Kilimanjaro and then passed through the snow, the rains, the heat and the terrible roads in Nigeria before he eventually arrived at FUT Minna with his wife Filomena on Thursday 21st, November, 2012.

From Left: Mr. Olawale Adebayo (First Author), Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife), Dr. E. N. Onwuka (Ag. Dean SICT), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science) and Mr. Shafi’i M. Abdulhamid (Second Author). 

Nigerians are very hospitable people and we are not different. So, we welcomed them warmly and the first thing that happens between us was a handshake (even though not legendary)! I can clearly see in his eyes that he was very happy now that he can match our names with our phizogs and our paper with our expressions. We went straight to the business of the day. First of all we reviewed our work and he also introduces us to his own work. We asked each other questions and exchanged ideas. It was there I learnt from him that he had lived and taught in Nigeria a long time ago at Afikpo High School for 2 years, then in Imo State. He was a voluntary service overseas teacher; he helped restored the laboratory block and science teaching after the depredations of the Biafran war (September 1977 to July 1979). Right there, we set the tune for another paper which the three of us will have to co-author in the nearest future and the meeting came to a fruitful end. Then we took them round the school.

Our first point of call was the HOD’s office, Dr. Victor O. Waziri. He is a man with a lot of international experiences so it was easy for him to entertain foreign visitors and he immediately triggered a high level academic discussion with Dr. Andrew Fluck, I can see he enjoyed the few minutes we spent in his office. From there, the HOD leads us to the Dean School of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. E.N. Onwuka. She was very happy to welcome the visitors into her office. To be candid, I think she was the happiest. She was very proud of us and we appreciate her encouragements and support. Even though this visit came unexpected and at a time when some departments in the School are at the peak of preparations for NUC accreditation, she still managed to squeeze out time to attend to us. Her discussion with Andrew focused on the general benefit of the University and the staff. She really wanted to take them to the Deputy Vice Chancellor academics, but Andrew insisted that the time they assigned for the visit has been exhausted and they have to leave. But we still managed to take them direct to e-exams centre to see for themselves. They were very impressed with the arrangements and the facilities at the centre. Just like Erdington, Andrew captured the images of the centre for record keeping and for further expeditionary purposes.

Ladies and gentlemen, I did not allow them to go just like that without asking one final question. So, I turned to the wife and asked her “Madam, what can you say about our school?” and she replied “I like the school, the structures are very artistic and the students are full of energy”. In my mind I said to myself “thank God it is Gidan Kwano campus”. Dr. Andrew Fluck will definitely have a feeling of satisfaction now back in Australia, because again just like Erdington - he came, he saw and he conquered.     

Shafi’i Muhammad Abdulhamid wrote-in from the department of Cyber Security Science, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria.

More Pictures

At the department of Cyber security Science

From Left: Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science,) Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife,) Mr. Olawale Adebayo (First Author), and Mr. Shafi’i M. Abdulhamid (Second Author). 

At the Dean’s office                                                                                                 

From Left:, Dr. E. N. Onwuka (Ag. Dean SICT), Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife),  Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor) 

From Left: Mr. Olawale Adebayo (First Author), Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife), Dr. E. N. Onwuka (Ag. Dean SICT), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science) and Mr.Abdulazeez Isah (Dean’s secretary). 

From Left: Mrs. Filomena Bovino (Visitor’s wife), Dr. Andrew E. Fluck (The Australian Visitor), Mr. Shafi’i M. Abadulhamid(Second Author), Dr. V. O. Waziri (HOD Cyber Security Science). 

The good story must continue…… 

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