The University of Liberia (UL) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a capacity building partnership seeking to prepare a pool of people that will transform the sector and the country. The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry in Monrovia on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Acting UL President, Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh, and the Minister of Mines and Energy signed on behalf of their respective institutions.
The UL delegation at the signing ceremony included the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Agnes Reeves-Taylor, the Vice President for Institutional Development and Planning, Prof. Weade Kobbah-Boley, the Vice President for Legal Affairs, Cllr. Viama Blama, and the Dean of the College of Engineering, Hun-bu Tulay, among others.
The partnership between the two state institutions intends to mentor people and provide them with opportunities in ways that encourage companies to absorb Liberians into their employ, instead of bringing in foreigners for jobs.
Dr. Conteh pledged the commitment of the University of Liberia (UL) to do all its part in implementing the MoU. “We want to commit to you that we will do our part in implementing all of those things that the university has to do,” said Dr. Conteh.
He welcomed the initiative, saying the University of Liberia is the place to start this kind of partnership because it is where the labor force is trained and has synergies for the training of experts in this field.
“I dare say the relationship dates as far back as maybe your professors, you know, Cletus Wortorson, Nathaniel Richardson, and others,” he indicated.
While Dr. Conteh does not recall a time when a formal partnership of this nature was signed between the two institutions, he however acknowledged the visionary role of the professors he cited.
Under the MoU, the Acting UL President stated the part of the university includes training experts and holding seminars and symposiums in the current areas that are trending internationally, relative to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He also disclosed that the University of Liberia will provide short term courses, suggesting that “fees for service” is something that needs to be negotiated between the Ministry and the Dean of the College of Engineering, Hun-bu Tulay, the prime mover of the event.
Dr. Conteh seized the opportunity to inform Minister Paye that the university has partnerships with some international organizations. He cited the signing of a MoU with the president of the State University of New York Polytechnic, who is a material scientist.
“We are going to start a new material science program, and I trust that the program will also benefit this MoU that we are signing today,” he stated.
He disclosed that the general vision is the ARREST program of the Visitor to the University of Liberia (UL) and President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
The Acting UL President reassured the ministry that the university will do its part in fulfilling the terms of the MoU.
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Wilmot Paye, thanked the University of Liberia which, together with his team at the ministry, worked to make the ceremony possible.
“By the way, capacity building is extremely indispensable. We can’t do anything other than just coming up with a partnership with the University of Liberia to be able to prepare the Ministry and the sector,” he said.
According to Minister Paye, the ministry has decided to foster this partnership with the University of Liberia, counting on the university to help with capacity building.
“Because we can’t regulate the mining sector, we can’t make policies and implement policies for the energy sector if we don’t have the pool of people we need,” said Minister Paye.
“We want the university to assist us in seconding people to us whenever we have the opportunity to recruit the best students…, the students that graduate at top levels,” he said.
He stated that the ministry wants the best students to have [an] automatic opportunity for employment.