ChatGPT, AI , Afro-Futurism: Unizik lecturers, Students interact with Prof Holger Briel

By Chioma Abigail Mbah, Awka

Professor Holger Briel of Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong, Baptist University United International College (UIC) in China yesterday interacted with students and lecturers of Mass Communication department Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

He spoke on artificial intelligence (AI) programmes and ChatGPT which according to him are tools that help students in their academics.

Furthermore, he spoke on another concept ” Afro futurism” which is notions of black identity, agency and freedom through art,creative works and activism that envision liberated futures of black life. Identity develops as we grow, there is future of possibility, nothing is impossible. You are the generation that are to venture into this afro futurism, he said.

Holger further spoke on technology and statistics as it lingers in our daily lives.

Prof Holger holds a PhD in Cultural Theory from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English and German from Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Germany.

He has teaching experience in various universities around the world including Oxford University, New York University, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Shanghai Jiaotong University, the University of Surrey, the University of Innsbruck, Indiana State University and Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University among many others.

Holger has been supervising doctoral and master’s students in universities across several countries and has written and published numerous scholarly works spanning diverse fields including media and cultural studies, international management studies, philosophy, and the social sciences.

He is the Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious IAFOR Journal of Cultural Studies and sits as an Editor and Joint Editor on many journal boards.

Prof. Briel is a recipient of several prestigious research grants and fellowships and has been elected to several education supervisory bodies of several countries including Hungary, Greece and Spain, as well as held membership in the EU Council for Higher Education – all in recognition of his expertise in global education.

He has remained active in journalism practice where he writes for several international newspapers.

He was invited by Dr Nelson Omenugha, a great communicator and SUG emeritus of the prestigious institution UNIZIK and Governor Soludo’s Adviser on youth empowerment.

Dr Nelson made the students to see reasons with him why he invited professor Holger Briel” As a communicator, you should be an expert and be ahead of your colleagues, that’s why I invited the distinguished professor to talk with you students”.

Prof Holger in a friendly aura, asked some students their names thereby introducing the concept” Multiculturalism”.

Dr Henry Duru, a lecturer in the department of Mass Communication asked a question, with the invention of chatGPT, how will students be able to cope with this artificial intelligence ?

He replied saying” When you search for a thing in Artificial intelligence and search for the same thing on Wikipedia, you will see that that of Wikipedia is better than AI because it was written by human not bot writing.

Holger in conclusion said ” We are not living in a unilateral world again, motivation comes first and foremost in whatever we do. When motivated, motivate others so the world will get in to be a better place”.
Some books like Rose Water (2016) and Binti (2015) authored by Tade Thompson and Nnedi Okorafor respectively was cited as books on Afro futurism.

A vote of thanks was given on behalf of the Mass Communication students by Professor Kate Omenugha. A professor of Gender and Cultural studies and one time Commissioner for Education under former Governor Willie Obiano.

Prof Holger earlier on the previous day had fun with some lecturers and students after receiving souvenir from the HOD Mass Communication, Prof Cornelius Ukwueze who granted him the opportunity for the interactive session.