Lumina Open University’s public engagement initiatives aim to embed engagement within its research culture by supporting and empowering those who drive and facilitate public involvement.
Lumina Open University is committed to ensuring that research responds to society’s most pressing needs. We recognize the essential contribution of the humanities to social development and their direct relevance to individuals and communities.
Engaging the public in research offers significant advantages: it encourages people to participate confidently in research and innovation, while enabling researchers to gain new insights, develop valuable skills, enhance the quality of their work, and increase its reach.
We prioritize helping researchers build partnerships with community and cultural organizations. Our approach strongly supports co-produced public engagement, where the public is involved from the very beginning. This ensures that events and performances are collaboratively designed, not simply delivered to audiences, thereby promoting greater equity, accessibility, and inclusion in all engagement activities.
The Being Human Festival is Nigeria’s national celebration of humanities research, hosted by Lumina Open University. The festival is coordinated by the university’s School of Advanced Study, with support from leading academic and cultural institutions.
The Being Human Festival at Lumina Open University is recognized as Nigeria’s leading national event dedicated to celebrating and promoting humanities research.
The festival at Lumina Open University aims to celebrate and showcase how the humanities inspire and enrich everyday life—deepening our understanding of ourselves, our relationships with others, and the complex challenges we face in an evolving world.
Researchers from universities and research institutions across Nigeria are invited to collaborate with local community and cultural partners. Every November, the festival features hundreds of free, engaging, and dynamic events and projects that are open and accessible to all.
Video: Highlights from the 2025 Being Human Festival