In line with the global trend of encouraging students to transform their academic projects into scholarly publications, the Faculty of Air Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna, has organized its maiden edition of Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series. The seminar, themed “Transforming Capstone Projects into High-Impact Publications: A Practical Guide for Final-Year and Postgraduate Students,” was designed to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills required to turn their final-year and postgraduate projects into publishable research articles in reputable international journals.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Engineer A A Adeleke, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nile University of Nigeria, emphasized that transforming a project into a publication not only extends its relevance and visibility but also converts academic effort into an article with global impact. He remarked that the role of supervisors in thetransformation process from project to an impact article is crucial, describing them as “academic architects of a student’s intellectual journey.”According to him, supervisors must go beyond assessment to provide intentional guidance, helping students define clear research problems, develop sound methodologies, structure manuscripts effectively, and adhere to ethical research standards.
Dr. Adeleke further noted that supervision should be seen as a partnership rather than dependency. He encouraged students to approach the process as a guided apprenticeship built on curiosity, discipline, and commitment to excellence. He proposed several strategies to help institutionalize a sustainable research culture such as: encouraging final-year and postgraduate projects to be publication-oriented from inception; establishing departmental writing clinics led by supervisors and postgraduate mentors;rewarding joint publications between supervisors and students; publishing successful research collaborations on the University website and offering small research grants; setting up internal review committees to vet final manuscripts before journal submission.
In his remarks, the Dean, Faculty of Air Engineering, Group Captain GE Abbe, stated that the objective of the seminar was to expose students to globally accepted methodologies and standards essential for producing high-quality, publishable research articles. He noted that adherence to international academic writing standards would not only enhance the credibility of students’ work but also improve their competitiveness in global scholarly circles.
Gp Capt Abbe further disclosed that the initiative will be institutionalized across AFIT to ensure sustainability. He added that extending the programme beyond the Faculty of Air Engineeringwill promote a culture of research excellence and foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the Institute. Such an approach, he asserted, will elevate AFIT’s academic profile and help students build stronger professional careers through research and publication.
By launching this seminar series, the Faculty of Air Engineering has reaffirmed AFIT’s commitment to nurturing a vibrant research culture, one that transforms projects into meaningful contributions to knowledge and the broader engineering community.
Bassey Ibiang Okon PhD Wing Commander Director of Public Relations Air Force Institute of Technology