The University of Benin has recorded another feat with the donation of a state-of-the-art High-Performance Computing (HPC) facility by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland.
The facility was formally presented to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Edoba B. Omoregie, SAN, and will be domiciled at the Petroleum Energy Systems Research Centre (PESRC). It is expected to significantly enhance advanced scientific research, artificial intelligence, engineering simulations, big data analytics, and other computationally intensive projects.
Speaking during the presentation, the Vice Chancellor expressed appreciation to CERN for fulfilling its commitment to the University. He noted that the donation was one of the major outcomes of the University’s strategic engagement with CERN during his recent visit, where he led a high-powered delegation to strengthen institutional collaboration.
Professor Omoregie, while thanking the University’s CERN Collaboration Team, described the donation as a transformational development that will significantly improve the University’s research infrastructure and strengthen its capacity for global scientific collaboration thus positioning the institution as a hub for cloud computing, high-capacity data processing, and advanced computational research.
The Director of the Petroleum Energy Systems Research Centre, Professor Olalekan Olafuyi, explained that the HPC facility will enable researchers to undertake highly sophisticated modelling and simulation projects that cannot be executed on conventional computers. He added that the facility would provide researchers with secure, reliable, and uninterrupted access to computational resources, thereby accelerating research productivity and innovation across multiple disciplines.
Also speaking, the Director of ICT, Mr. Kehinde Samuel, stated that the facility will expand the University’s digital infrastructure and create opportunities to host websites and online platforms for other universities and organisations.
The Team Leader of the CERN Collaboration in UNIBEN, Professor M. A. Bamikole, disclosed that the HPC comprises about 600 servers and described the donation as a game-changer for research and innovation.
He further noted that, as the first university in Sub-Sahara Africa to join the CERN Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Collaboration, the University of Benin is well-positioned to become a regional centre for hosting CERN data and supporting researchers across Africa. He commended the Vice Chancellor for his visionary leadership and acknowledged the contributions of Mrs. Faith Fookes, Mr. Martin Gastal, Mr. Bernard Calil, and Dr. Mac Dobson to the success of the collaboration.
The donation further consolidates the University of Benin’s position as one of Africa’s emerging centres of excellence in advanced scientific computing.