Dr Chike Walter Duru, an Associate Professor of Mass Communication at Achievers University, Owo, has been appointed a Research Fellow at INTI International University, Malaysia, a role expected to expand opportunities for collaborative research and academic exchange linked back to his department and students in Nigeria.

The appointment runs till December 1, 2028, and was conveyed in a letter signed by INTI International University Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Lee, who stated that the fellowship is intended to strengthen institutional research capacity and support international scholarly collaboration.

As Head of the Department of Mass Communication at Achievers University, Duru is positioned to channel the fellowship's benefits directly into his home institution. Under the arrangement, he will take part in collaborative research projects, international conferences, research symposia, postgraduate supervision, guest lectures, and curriculum development, along with access to research funding and institutional support for disseminating findings, exposure that typically feeds into stronger postgraduate training and updated curricula for students back home.

Duru brings more than two decades of experience connecting academia with real world development work, including a stint as a Communication Expert with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria and leading communications for the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project, a World Bank supported initiative. That blend of practical governance and development experience, alongside consultancy work on programmes such as the European Union funded Rule of Law and Anti Corruption Programme, is the kind of applied expertise students in Nigerian mass communication programmes often lack access to in the classroom.

Responding to the appointment, Duru said the fellowship would allow him to collaborate internationally on research addressing communication and development challenges. "This fellowship provides an excellent platform for international academic collaboration, interdisciplinary research, and knowledge exchange. I look forward to working with colleagues at INTI International University to produce impactful research that contributes to communication scholarship and sustainable development," he stated.

Observers say fellowships of this kind, held by academics still active in Nigerian classrooms, offer a pathway for Nigerian students to benefit from updated curricula, exposure to international research networks, and mentorship shaped by global scholarship, even without leaving the country.