Twenty-two young Liberians have been awarded academic scholarships by ArcelorMittal Liberia to study overseas, for advanced degrees in various science-related disciplines.
The Advanced Academic Studies Scholarship, fully funded by ArcelorMittal Liberia, is part of its mineral development agreement (MDA) commitments. Recipients were selected following a rigorous recruitment process overseen by an independent committee, comprising various stakeholders, including representatives of the ministries of Education, Mines, and Energy, as well as the company’s operation counties.
Five of the 22 recipients are females, while half of the total number of recipients are from AML operation counties: Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa.
The recipients are Foeday Zinnah, who will pursue studies in Environmental Quality and Sciences at Hebrew University, Israel; Emmanuel Sulonteh, Chandigarh University, India; Edwin Olu Bestman, Engineering Management, University of Putra, Malaysia; Samuel B. Kuetay, Jr., Nutrition and Dietic, Sharda University, India; Ezekiel Saah Phillips, Geographical Information Service, University of Rochester, USA; Abigail S. Dweh, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, USA; Darcess Dossen, Earth Dynamics and Environmental Geology, University of Padua, Italy; Elisha O. Eboh, Transportation Engineering, Sandip University, India; Annet Mariama Fua-Fuar, Structural Engineering, Vilnius Technical University; and Quita Harvey, Environmental Engineering, Regional Maritime University, Ghana.
Others are Shuku N. Gbollie, Soil Biochemistry, University of Ghent, Belgium; Grace Andrews, Medical Microbiology, Sharda University, India; Alice Zazaboi, Engineering Management-Environmental Engineering, University of Florida, USA; Daniel Whabyely, Public Health, Kampala University, Uganda; Stanford Gbayelakpor, Food Design and Innovation, Scuola Politecnica di Design, Italy; Ferrison Saye Andrews, Mining Engineering, University of Mines, Ghana; Sam Yarkpazuah, Microbiology, Sharda University, India; Onesimus D. Zeon, Civil Engineering, AntaylaBlim University, Turkey; Josiah F.P. Freeman, Internet System, Kigali University, Rwanda; Mulbah Rufus Flomo, Civil Engineering, Sharda University, India; Obediah J. Dajue, Environmental Engineering, Shandip University, India, and Abednego D. Manston, Environmental Quality Sciences, Hebrew University, Israel.
At the send-off ceremony, held at a local hotel on Tuesday, ArcelorMittal Liberia’s Chief Executive Officer, Joep Coenen, congratulated the scholarship recipients on their success and encouraged them to take their studies seriously in order to benefit their country and families.
Coenen said he was particularly delighted that females were among the recipients, noting that it is a sign that more Liberian women have developed a strong interest in the sciences. He said he was also pleased that more than half of the total number of recipients were from AML’s three operation counties─Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa.
“It is our hope that these people will go back to the counties and help with sustainable development,” he said, adding that the company takes pride in helping to develop the human resource capital of the country.
“It is not that we have to do it because of the MDA obligation, but it is also something that we do because we’re proud of it.”
The CEO told the beneficiaries that the scholarship is a good investment and opportunity that will payoff for them and the country.
“Keep in mind that what you learn no one can take away from you,” he emphasized.
This batch of recipients makes the eighth cohort of the AML MDA Advanced Studies Scholarship program.
One of the scholarship recipients, Foeday Zinnah, who will pursue a master’s degree in Environmental Quality and Sciences at Hebrew University, Israel, in a joyous mood, thanked ArcelorMittal Liberia for the opportunity to achieve his dream of acquiring high-quality education to enable him meaningfully contribute to the development of Liberia.
Zinnah praised the level of transparency and fairness that characterized the application and recruitment process.
“I’m really amazed by how the recruitment process was fair and purely based on competence and the performance of all those selected.”
He encouraged his fellow scholarship recipients to put in their best during their studies and make ArcelorMittal and Liberia proud.