The Annual Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Symposium at Fourah Bay College took centre stage this week with a powerful and eloquent keynote address that challenged scholars to rethink the purpose and practice of research in a rapidly changing world.
Held under the theme “Research and Innovations: Bridging Theory and Practice,” the event attracted the Vice Chancellor and Principal of USL, senior administrators of the college, faculty members, postgraduate and undergraduate students, and invited guests, all gathered to explore how scholarship can meaningfully shape society.
Keynote speaker Dr. Ibrahim Bangura delivered a compelling message on the evolving role of the humanities and social sciences in addressing contemporary challenges. Drawing on leading African scholars, he emphasised that knowledge is not confined to libraries or archives, but also takes form in reclaimed languages, replanted forests, and revolutionary struggles. He reminded participants that “the guiding principles of African social research have often been forged through the struggles of those who insisted on study, creation, and resistance.”
In his wide-ranging lecture, Dr. Bangura dismantled the longstanding divide between theory and practice, describing it as an “invisible wall” that has limited the academy’s relevance. He noted that theory and practice have always existed in a dynamic relationship – feeding, refining, and questioning each other – and argued that modern realities demand scholarship that not only interprets society but actively transforms it.
A major highlight of the address was his focus on innovation within the arts, which he redefined beyond technology or material invention. He stressed that the arts remain powerful engines of social progress – reshaping public memory, informing language policy, guiding ethical debates in the age of artificial intelligence, and supporting community healing through creative expression. “The arts are not just observers of society; they are architects of society,” he declared.
Dr. Bangura also underscored the methodological renaissance unfolding in the humanities, from digital archiving to participatory and practice-based research, urging postgraduate students to embrace innovation, interdisciplinarity, and relevance. He encouraged them to view research as both an intellectual duty and a social responsibility. “You are not simply inheritors of knowledge; you are creators of it,” he affirmed.
The lecture ended on an inspiring note: “Let your scholarship be a lighthouse, guiding its audience and igniting new possibilities.”
This year’s symposium reaffirmed its role as a vital platform for nurturing emerging researchers and strengthening academic innovation at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
