Knowledgebase & Articles

One of the most important human milestones ever achieved in the history of humanity was the discovery of the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) structure. This was a turning point for scientists and engineers (Geneticists, Biotechnologists, Biochemists, Microbiologists e.t.c.) for far greater yet thrilling manipulations that aim to help humans evolve and transcend the natural phenomena they were known for. For starters, we now have a greater understanding of biological concepts ranging from heredity to protein production. This is why James Watson and Francis Crick, who are credited with making the discovery, will always be obliged to the scientific community. A few decades later, James Watson oversaw the Human Genomic Project (HJP), one of the most complex initiatives ever undertaken by a group of international experts from all corners of the universe. This effort was in charge of mapping every human gene, which implies that every gene purported to code for any character or protein has been discovered, sequenced, and thoroughly investigated (In fact, each gene is now identified by a code, number and location on the human chromosome). Amazing advancements in medicine and health resulted from this, yet some situations may go beyond what is morally acceptable. Although many other developments, such as the successful artificial cloning of an animal and the emergence of gene therapies, have given us a previously unattainable understanding of the genome, it is crucial to maintain control over this quick evolution. This leads to the development of a new area of genetics known as gene knockout technology. For example, during the embryonic development of a fetus, if a gene mapping is done and it is discovered that there is a defective gene (for sickle cell anemia for instance), that particular defective gene can be knocked out, which will automatically do away with the possibility of the child developing sickle cell anemia after differentiation. However, this has never been practiced in humans as it poses a great risk of the destruction of other viable genes. It is worthy of note that there have been several animal studies, especially in rodents and quite a few of them were found to be successful. Utilizing nuclear transfer from a cell derived from the mammary gland, the Roslin Institute in Scotland created Dolly the sheep (the first cloned animal from an adult non sex cells). Her cloning demonstrated that a mature cell from a particular body component may be used to create a cloned organism. The world’s first academic institution, A&M University in Texas, USA, cloned six animals in six years, including cattle, a boer goat, pigs, a deer, a horse, and – most notably – a cat called cc. We have also seen, as a result, the production of biological and nuclear weapons as well as their profoundly damaging effects.  Thus, a balance between what possibly needs to be achieved and what should be undertaken must be struck. Disorders like Down syndrome and Sickle Cell Disease are the direct result of faulty genetics and a cure for them is nearly impossible due to the trillions of cells in your body and the even greater amount of DNA that would need to be altered.  However, a form of genetic engineering known as genomic editing could solve this problem.  The utilization of a tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 has profound implications that could influence us very shortly. Weather scientists are indeed playing god with the way genes are now being manipulated, it is up to us to remedy errors that come with nature, and by that, we will be utilizing the knowledge for the benefit of mankind. References Campbell, Neil; Reece, Jane (2005). Biology. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. p. 265. ISBN 0-07-366175-9. McKusick, Victor A.; Lopez, A (30 July 2010). “Earlobe Attachment, Attached vs. Unattached”. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. Johns Hopkins University. 128900. Down Syndrome” Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. Elsevier Health Sciences. Retrieved 27 September 2013. Autosomal Recessive: Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Tay Sachs Disease”. Medical Genetics. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. 3 February 2008. Satyanarayana, U. (2021). Biochemistry, 6e-E-book. Elsevier Health Sciences. Voet, D., & Voet, J. G. (2010). Biochemistry. John Wiley & Sons.   Abdurrazak Muhammad is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Skyline University Nigeria (SUN). He has an M.Sc. in Medical Biochemistry from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Unisza) Malaysia  You can join the conversation on facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on twitter @SkylineUNigeria

Introduction – Changing the Retail Format More and more brands and products are being launched every day. The end-to-end shopping experience is changing. Almost every step of the process, from the moment the idea for a product is conceived, until the moment it lands in the hands of a consumer will evolve in the next 10 years, and continue to do so. To more deeply explore these omni channel insights, modern and diversified distribution network connecting supply, demand and delivery that helps retailers and brands increase sales by expanding product assortments, promoting products on the channels that perform, and enabling rapid, on-time customer delivery. Emerging Retailing Format *Malls*Specialty Stores*Discount Stores*Department Stores*Departmental Stores*Multi Brand outlets*Hyper marts/Supermarkets*Convenience Stores 1. The ‘Product’ Mix – Every organization has a product mix that is made up of product lines. The variety of products that a company produces, or that a retailer stocks is known as ‘product line’. The product mix is the set of all the products offered for sale by a company. The basic components of product mix are:(i) Services (ii) Packaging (iii) Brand (iv) Product Item (v) Product line 2. The ‘Price’ Mix – Price has always been one of the most important variables in retail buying decision. It is the factor which makes or mars a retail organization. It is also the easiest and quickest element to change. The components of price mix are:(i) Organizational objectives (ii) Competition (iii) Cost and profit(iv) Credit terms (v) Discount (vi) Pricing options(vii) Fixed and variable costs (viii) Pricing options(ix) Pricing policies 3. The ‘Place’ Mix – The retailer should keep in mind the fact that his ‘product’ should be available near the place of consumption so that the consumers can easily buy it. If the brand preferred by the consumer is not easily available at a convenient location, he may buy some other brand in the same product category. Following are the components of a retail price mix:(i) Distribution channels (ii) Intermediary (iii) Distance Factor(iv) Inventory Level (v) Transportation (vi) Warehousing and Storage 4. The ‘Promotion’ Mix – After deciding upon the budget, retailer should determine the appropriate promotional mix – a combination of advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. These various promotional issues:(i) Cost of the method (ii) Its reach (iii) Degree of flexibility(iv) Credibility (v) Control over media Practices and Habitual Customs of Respondents in RetailingInnovative retail marketing and consumer’s changing lifestyle have changed their needs and choices, today’s consumers seek more updated information before they make their purchases; therefore retailer can get success by good marketing and right information. Conclusion The conclusion derived from the analysis of the collected secondary information published in various sources such as journals, official government websites, text and books related on retailing sector. Most of the organized retailers in and around the world are harping on quality, service, convenience, satisfaction and assured benefits to lure shoppers into the store. Retailers should create value for the consumer and must decide suitable vehicle to deliver desired consumer value. No doubt that retail format is one of the vehicles to deliver value proposition and also it helps to position the store in the mind of target shoppers. Probably in a growing market no one finds difficulty in pulling customer into store but that may not be sufficient to operate profitably. Retailers need to find out what matches consumer requirement and offer better than competition. Retailers certainly need to be innovative in designing the value proposition and deciding the format to deliver that to the consumer. It is not all about deciding the format but all about serving the consumer better, faster and at less cost. Retailers can use their store as an indicator of what they stand for and what value they offer. Retailers have to out think consumer in providing service and value. References 1. S.Jaideep, “Retail Scenario of India: An Overview”, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/retailing/retail-scenario-of-india-an-overview/487342. Anasua Chakraborty, “Emerging sectors/trends in Indian retailing”, http://info.shine.com/industry/retail/7.html3. http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/2203/indian-retail-industry-its-growth-challenges-and-opportunities?page=44. Report on Indian Retail Industry, Indian Brand Equity Foundation, www.ibef.org, May 2018, pp-65. Technopak Advisors private limited, BCG, Indian Brand Equity Foundation, www.ibef.org, May 2018, pp-86. Coopers, Price water house, Technopak, Indian Brand Equity Foundation, www.ibef.org, May 2018, pp-177. Sunil Jindal, Managing Director, SRS Value Bazaar (SRS Group), www.indianretailer.com/article/whats-hot/trends/Indian-retail-industry—Challenges-and-Opportunities.a4070/8. Vidushi Handa and Navneet Grover, “Retail Sector in India: Issues and Challenges”, International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol.2, Issue – 5, May 2012, pp-2449. https://www.insightssuccess.in/challenges-retail-industry-is-facing-in-india10. https://www.ibef.org/industry/retail-india/showcase Dr. Senthil Kumar, is an Associate Professor of Finance and Business Management in Skyline University Nigeria. He has a PhD. in Business Management from Bharathiar University, India. You can join the conversation on facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on twitter @SkylineUNigeria

In this 21st century, effective collaboration is no longer an option for libraries but certainly a necessity. The world around libraries is changing rapidly (Pinfield, Cox, & Rutter, 2017) Nowadays, universities are facing financial cutbacks, pressures for accountability, and changing nature of the library users which always lead to increasing client expectations particularly around the student experience (Hickman, 2017). Rapidly changing technologies, in areas such as social media and mobile technologies, are impacting on how, where, and when students and faculty access library services. More fundamentally, the services university libraries have traditionally provided can be seen as under threat. As such, libraries must join hands to connect together to provide all the necessary information for their users as postulated by Rangathan. Collaboration by libraries can help to avoid duplication of effort and provide efficiency savings, streamline work processes and free up time for more value added activities. It can also increase the profile, visibility, credibility, and influence of the library and library staff internally and externally. On occasions, library staff learn new skills and behaviors during collaboration work and these can subsequently be applied to the individual’s work in his/her own department or institution. From a user perspective, internal collaboration by the library can help to provide a more joined up service delivery, with a single user interface to different services or a reduction in the number of times data input is required. Involvement by users in the collaborative process can help to identify new and enhanced services that are relevant to users’ needs and more user friendly, with university staff and students often becoming more familiar with library services through involvement in the process. External collaboration in particular can help to provide a wider range of services than the partners could provide individually. Library collaboration can accomplish one or more of the below mutually beneficial objectives1. Cooperate in the exchange of information relating to the activities in the current trend of librarianship;2. Library Users of each Institution can visit the other to participate in Library Tour, Excursions and other activities to promote international friendship and cooperation between the two parties.3. Provide Reference Services through email, online chat, or telephone and if possibleanswer within 24 hours of receipt.4. Exchange of scholarly published articles from printed and electronic materials.5. Collaborate in organizing local or international conference6. Invitation to attend any conferences hosted by either institution.7. Conduct cultural projects, a mutually agreed in writing between the parties prior to commencement of the activity Challenges of Collaboration Atkinson (2018) in his own classical thinking enumerated some challenges which he noted that for a collaboration to be successful there will be a number of barriers and constraints to overcome. There can be significant differences in culture and working practice between the participants. Achieving the necessary cultural change can take time. Some staff may be resistant to change and not see the benefits of collaboration, there can be a real or perceived loss of professional or institutional identity, and staff may be uncomfortable or uncertain working outside their normal professional boundaries and comfort zones and feel isolated from their normal working colleagues. Staff involved in the collaboration may not have sufficient autonomy in allocating their time and effort, and, if they retain some of their normal responsibilities, there may be competing priorities. He further identified that, at a department or institution level, there may be difficulties associated with participants having different strategic goals, structures and priorities, with consequent difficulties in establishing a common approach or specification acceptable to all. It can be difficult to maintain the balance between protecting the policies and priorities of the participants while leveraging the opportunities that come from shared approaches. For example, there may be a need to give up local control of systems and services. Without this, there may be limits to the opportunities for effective collaboration and implementation of new initiatives. In Skyline University Nigeria, we believed that no any library can stand on its own. As such, we strived to link up with all the academic libraries in our midst and beyond so as to create a viable library collaboration. Sequel to this, Skyline University Nigeria Library has signed an MOU with Yusuf Maitama Sule University Library, Kano, Federal University Dutse Library, Jigawa State and recently Sule Lamido University Library, Kafin Hausa, Jigawa State. The purpose of the MOU is to establish friendship, cooperation in research, culture and to support quality library services for both the two parties. References Atkinson, J. (Ed.) (2018). Collaboration and the academic library: Internal and external, local and regional, national and international. Oxford: Chandos Publishing [CrossRef]Hickman, B. (2017). University libraries need to start putting the student first. Guardian Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2017/aug/03/university-libraries-need-to-start-putting-the-student-firstParsons, R. (2016). SCONUL shared services: A toolkit for library collaboration. London: SCONUL Retrieved from: https://www.sconul.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/1611%20Toolkit_for_Library_Collaboration.pdfPinfield, S., Cox, A. M., & Rutter, S. (2017). Mapping the future of academic libraries: A report for SCONUL. London: SCONUL Retrieved from: https://sconul.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/SCONUL%20Report%20Mapping%20the%20Future%20of%20Academic%20Libraries.pdfSkyline University Nigeria (2018) MOU Draft of Skyline University Nigeria Library.Universities UK (2015). Efficiency, effectiveness and value for money. London: Universities UK [CrossRef] Retrieved from: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2015/efficiency-effectiveness-value-for-money.pdf Mr. Musa Mohammed, is the Assistant Librarian, Skyline University Nigeria. He has his MSc Information Management from Leeddeckett University, UK.  You can join the conversation on facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on twitter @SkylineUNigeria

Watch on YouTube! We are not just preparing students for the technologically driven world but giving them a taste of the untapped opportunities available at Skyline University Nigeria through our changing gear Programmemes. Watch Testimonials to see how SUN received members of Addy Basic School and Summerfield School on “Career opportunities in Cyber Security and Data Science” and Campus Tour.  

Across the globe, in the post-pandemic scenario, there is a growing interest among academicians and government agencies to promote social entrepreneurship as a remedy for many social menaces. It could be sustainability, hunger issues, empowering the deprived sections in society, protection of the environment, etc. The research also meant that universities and higher educational institutions (HEI) can, must and should play a significant role in fostering or nurturing empathy by evoking social entrepreneurial intent in the young generation through curriculum, co-curricular activities and involving students in community services during their academic tenure in a university/HEI (Mavuri.S, 2019). Research also proved that such efforts of educational institutions will go a long way in instilling human values and kindness in the young generation as their way of life. This, in turn, will help to build a compassionate society with a business of having a social entrepreneurial mindset and the emergence of social entrepreneurs from every sphere of an economy. Social Entrepreneurs are encouraged and promoted as they might offer solutions to environmental and social problems countries face and generate social value by offering sustainable solutions over a period of time. In recent times, the pandemic has created avenues for the emergence of new business opportunities which needs the attention of the businesses to address social problems, to name a few like online education, food safety, emergency management, online medical care, healthy living, telemedicine, the reworking of supply chains, remote communication, and better waste management. All these are such business ideas which are not just private This may create opportunities and ideas for the development of social entrepreneurship projects. Let us look at some of the variables which foster social entrepreneurial intent explained in an academic research model developed by Hockerts (2017). Prior experience Prior experience is the exposure and involvement in several social entrepreneurship activities, which may inculcate the desire to work with and find solutions to critical social issues. Prior experience with social issues gives confidence and makes people believe that they can make a difference in society. Involvement in social activities, social organizations, and social volunteer activities are linked with a positive attitude toward social entrepreneurship and result in greater self-efficacy. Empathy Empathy is the ability to understand the emotions, thoughts, and motivations of another and to resonate with them. Empathy can be of two types – Cognitive and Affective. Cognitive empathy is an ability to recognize and understand the pain of another person, whether or not you are resonating with them. Affective Empathy is not just understanding their pain but feeling the pain of others and helping them. Empathy and Compassion drive attitude towards the behaviour. According to Ajzen and other researchers attitude towards behaviour is one’s assessment towards performing or not performing certain behaviour which has a positive impact on social entrepreneurial intent. Empathy is an antecedent to social intent. It can also act as a trigger for the social entrepreneurial process. Moral obligation According to past literature personal moral values and standards are important traits a social entrepreneur possesses. Human decision-making is influenced by values and morals and there is evidence of the role of values in attitude formation and behaviour. One of the determinants of behaviour is perceived moral beliefs and adherence to societal moral standards. The study uses the perception that societal norms imply a moral obligation to help people excluded by society. Social entrepreneurial self-efficacy Self-efficacy is the belief in the abilities of oneself and to exhibit behaviour to produce a given level of achievement. It is confidence in one’s competence to successfully perform tasks related to a new venture. According to some research studies, individuals with high social entrepreneurial self-efficacy will tend to create more social value. Past research contradicts the relationship between self-efficacy and social entrepreneurial intent. Some studies conclude that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy and social entrepreneurial intent. The effect may be direct on intent or indirect in the form of perceived feasibility. There are some studies which did not find any relationship between self-efficacy and social entrepreneurial intent in their research. Self-efficacy is a variable in every social entrepreneurship model which makes a person believe in himself and results in the perception that the creation of a social venture is feasible. Perceived social support Social Support is the support in the form of trust and cooperation from the government, banks, family and friends. Social support plays an important role to foster the intent of young people and helps in enabling the social entrepreneurial process. It is a known fact that entrepreneurial networks and networking affect the entrepreneurial process. Family and friends share bonding and trust which play a key role in shaping the intention towards becoming social entrepreneurs. The perceived social support to a great extent influences the perceived feasibility and in turn the intent. The degree of social acceptability and social support in terms of providing resources is one of the predictors of entrepreneurial intention.  Social entrepreneurial intent Social entrepreneurial intent is to add value to the existing social enterprise or create a new one. The intent measures how serious a person is about a social issue and the time and effort one invests in a social cause and makes it a reality (Ajzen, 1991). Individuals’ personal characteristics to a great extent influence entrepreneurial intentions. Social Intent on implementation manifests into a social enterprise. Prieto defined social entrepreneurial intention as the innovative purpose that a person exhibits in starting a social company to create social value. The studies on social entrepreneurial intention have exhibited the involvement in social enterprises and environmental support toward social entrepreneur intention (Hockerts, 2017). According to the study by Chavali, et.al (2021), some of the important activities universities/HEIs can plan for students to promote their social entrepreneurial intent in them are – exposure to students in the volunteer field with organizations that work for a social cause, workshops by government bodies, emotional, social and ethical skill training, networking with alumni, working with sustainable development projects, mentoring, nurture new ideas of students,