Welcome to the 2008 Reunion information center for the Great Ife Alumni Association. The Reunion is to be held at the Marriott Hotel in Walnut Creek, California from Friday August 29th to Sunday August 31st.
Our hope is to accomplish the twin objective of successfully hosting the 5th Reunion and launching the Endowment Fund for the University. Hence, we have chosen the theme “Breaking into the Top 200 World Universities.” This is of course based on the non-inclusion of any Nigerian University on the Times Higher Education Supplement -QS (THES-QS) World University Rankings. In fact it was not until 2007 that an African University, University of Cape Town in South Africa, was able to crack the top 200, debuting at number 200. The plan therefore is to bring awareness to our membership first on how far back we are and therefore what needs to be done to raise the quality of our alma mater to what is considered appropriate and acceptable by our standards and expectations. Consequently the role of an endowment in such endeavors will be discussed as well as its application.

We will feature knowledgeable individuals with exposure to Nigeria and top ranked American Universities to give us insight to some of the challenges that would have to be managed. Our Vice Chancellor is also expected to address the local issues and opportunities that would have to be incorporated into any planning. The role of the Alumni in attaining our goal will also be presented. The launching of the Endowment will feature Professor Oluwole Soyinka as the Keynote Speaker. He is the winner of Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, the very first African to do that. He was once the Head of Department of Dramatic Arts at University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, and has served as guest professor to various top institutions in America. Hence, he will be able to share the various dynamics that would come into play in the march towards the Top 200 of World Universities.

Remembering that our motto is For Learning and Culture, we will not make it all serious and forget to entertain participants. We have planned tours to places of interest in the San Francisco Bay Area – an area commonly referred to by most people as “The Best Place on Earth.” These tours will also open our minds to the infrastructure and culture that nurtured three (3) of the Top 10 on the Newsweek’s Top 100 Global Universities – Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, San Francisco. Some of the interesting destinations include Napa Valley (Wine Country), Pebble Beach (The Mecca of Golf), Silicon Valley (World Technology Center), scenic drive along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and enchantment tour of the Great City of San Francisco – be on guard not to lose your heart!
The event will be wrapped up with a banquet including a party that we hope would bring back good old memories and rekindle old spirits.

Please click through the links on the left to learn more about this spectacular event, pre-register for the event online, get more details about the hotel and even book a room!
Make the Reunion Weekend one of the highlights of your year! Whether you are attending your first or third reunion, something special has been planned just for you. Participate in reunion events that illustrate Great Ife profound global impact through faculty and alumni participants as well. This is a great opportunity to rekindle old relationships, create new ones, and enjoy yourself, all at the same time