As part of the Erasmus+ Mobility Exchange Programme between McPherson University, Nigeria, and Karabuk University, Turkey, the University recently hosted a delegation of international scholars for a series of academic engagements in the areas of Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence. The visit is aimed at fostering knowledge exchange, strengthening research collaboration, and promoting international academic partnerships between both institutions.
The Vice-Chancellor of McPherson University, Prof. Francis Igbasan, welcomed the visiting scholars, noting that the institution looks forward to hosting the visitors for an extended period and deepening academic cooperation. He also expressed hope for future partnerships that would enable McPherson lecturers to visit Karabuk University and engage with its students and faculty members, where students can visit partner universities.
Declaring the lecture open, Prof. Igbasan encouraged students and staff to take full advantage of the opportunity by actively participating in the lectures and discussions. He urged them to ask questions, broaden their knowledge, and acquire skills that would enable them to make meaningful contributions to society. He further noted that the delegation’s visit would include academic engagements at both McPherson University and the Federal University of Technology, Akure.
Prof. Caner Özcan, from the Faculty of Computer and Information Science at Karabuk University, delivered a compelling session focused on “Big Data, Machine Learning & Applications”. He outlined how distributed computing architectures like Apache Spark and Hadoop (HDFS) manage the volume, velocity, and variety of modern data. Drawing from his comprehensive research portfolio that spans from 2017 to 2025 on high-impact medical projects funded by TÜBİTAK and TUSEB, Prof. Özcan demonstrated how deep learning architectures are revolutionizing automated diagnostics. His highlighted milestones showcased state-of-the-art AI systems for early cancer screenings, dental anomalies utilizing FDI notation frameworks, and next-generation 3D deep learning models for kidney structure segmentation.
Prof. Sait Demir, representing the Department of Software Engineering at Karabuk University, presented a specialized lecture exploring functional brain connectivity and neuroimaging data pipelines. His presentation broke down complex network science, translating biological brain networks into mathematical graphs via phase synchronization methods to analyze conditions like Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. Prof. Demir detailed a comparative research study mapping the beta frequency band (13–30 Hz) of 36 volunteers subjected to continuous arithmetic tasks. His findings revealed a striking “paradox of focus” where successful individuals demonstrate superior resting-state functional connectivity, yet systematically prune global or unnecessary network connections to build optimized, goal-oriented pathways when handling intense cognitive workloads.
Prof. Ismail Rakıp Karaş, Vice Rector at Karabuk University and the delegation’s team lead, highly commended the Vice-Chancellor and management for the outstanding hospitality extended to them since their arrival in Nigeria. Reflecting on the academic engagements, Prof. Karaş noted that the level of vibrant engagement and intelligent feedback received from the McPherson students following the lectures far exceeded the team’s expectations. He emphasized that this impressive performance serves as a direct indicator of the high-caliber teaching and rigorous training the students receive at the institution. Furthermore, he praised the distinct warmth, serenity, and robust infrastructural commitments witnessed firsthand during their official tour of the university campus.
The Erasmus+ Mobility Exchange Programme between McPherson University and Karabuk University underscores the vital importance of global academic partnerships in the age of rapid technological evolution. By bridging the gap between Turkish and Nigerian institutions, this collaboration not only enriches the academic horizons of the students and faculty involved but also paves the way for future research breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, software engineering, and cognitive science. As both universities look toward expanding these exchange opportunities, this visit stands as a powerful testament to how international cooperation can drive innovation, foster cultural understanding, and cultivate the next generation of global problem solvers.
