We Welcome the Doctoral Programs at the University of Liberia

                                                                         

We Welcome the Doctoral Programs at the University of Liberia

In 1851, the Republic of Liberia founded the Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities now renamed the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanity in honor of the late Dr. Amos C. Sawyer, former Dean of the College. I graduated from the Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities from the Political Science Department as the dux for the entire College with Magna Cum Laude in Political Science. I had the second Highest average at the University in the Class of 2001/2002 which graduated on 28^th May 2003. My emphasis was in Comparative Government and Politics. My Minor was in History (European History) and my Electives in Mass Communication (Print media). All my studies were done within the Liberia College. Those days all colleges at the University graduated together on a Wednesday (we will discuss why Wednesdays later time). Liberia College became operational in 1862 (https://ul.edu.lr/new/). Later, about 100 years after the declaration of the College in 1951, the University of Liberia was created through an Act of the Legislature. The Republic of Liberia now had its first University. No other existed then.

“In 1862, the first President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E Joseph Jerkins Roberts, was inaugurated as the first President of Liberia College” (https://ul.edu.lr/new/history/). In fact former President William R. Tolbert graduated from Liberia College as the dux for the College like me. Interestingly, with two professors, “Rev. Alexander Cromwell and Professor Dr. Edward Wilmot Blyden, President Roberts opened the doors of Liberia College in February 1863 to 7 students (Ibid.). My former Dean, Prof. Joseph Barlefay, orally told us then that the College was operated somewhere on Clay Street. I am still looking for a written History on this this and the entire University (Dean Barlayfaye was one of the signatories to the 1986 Liberia Constitution representing Bong County). Documenting the History of the University of Liberia could be a worthy research project sponsored by the School. Today, the University of Liberia is operated on four campuses: the first at the Capitol Hill, the Second at the Medical College around the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, the third at Fendall, and the last in Sinje, Grand Cape mount County.

When the University was chartered by the National Government, it only offered undergraduate degrees. This meant that students wanting to obtain a Master Degree in any of the academic disciplines offered at the University and elsewhere if any then needed to travel out of Liberia to get a masters degree. Master degrees could not be obtained in Liberia then (we will later discuss the history of Masters degrees being offered in Liberia). Notably, a 76-year Oldman was the oldest graduate from the MBA/MPA program in academic year 2020/2021at the graduate School when I served as an Academic Coordinator at then. He confided in me that he was the first to obtain a Master degree in his family. President William V.S Tubman opened the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center (JFK) as the Teaching Hospital of the University of Liberia. Today, the Political System in Liberia runs or operate the JFK Memorial Hospital as an entity on its own. The University does not control JFK as its teaching hospital. Imagine that! Students from the Medical School and the School of Pharmacy as well as their professors are still required to practice at this teaching Hospital owned by the University. JFK is also Liberia’s primary referral Medical Institution in the Country. We will discuss this symbiotic relationship between the UL and JFK later time.

Fast forward, graduate studies began with a Diploma in Regional Science and Planning, now the Graduate School in Regional Science and Planning. Later H.E Samuel Kanyon Doe, former President of the Republic of Liberia, negotiated with his Colleague and counterpart, H.E Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to assist him open a master’s degree Program in Political Science at the University. Former President Doe had graduated from Liberia College’s Political Science Department as dux also and needed his Master’s degree in Political Science. This was how The Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Graduate School of International Studies was created in the late 1980s. Unfortunately, Samuel Doe  did not obtain the Master of Arts degree in International Relations when the Civil War broke out and he got killed. One of his classmates, the late Prof. Alhaji G.V Kromah and I graduated as classmates on 29th April 2009. I was the dux for the entire University by then, and the President of IBB. Professor Kromah taught International Law at the School prior to his demise.

I graduated with Highest Distinction. The University would have a single Touch Brearer usually from the undergraduate school those days because the University was originally an undergraduate University. I was denied the touch because of such regime in 2009. Presently, there are different graduation days for colleges and Graduate and Professional programs like law, medical and School of Pharmacy. In fact the University Charter has not been revised since 1951. The very Charter I had and used as Chairman of the ever potent Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) from 2001 to 2002 remains the same Charter that is in force today. Imagine that!! The Liberia National Legislature that nominates its representatives to the UL Board according to the Charter has never seen the reason to revise the Charter. The University authorities proposed a new draft, but it was never enacted (passed by the Liberia National Legislature and signed by the President). As I see it, there is a need to revise the Charter to make it contemporary because some of the existing structures and positions created at the University do not align with the University’s 1951 Charter. The Legislature and the University Administration must act to remedy this problem.

On Wednesday, 23^rd October 2024, the University officially launched its Doctoral Programs under the presidency of H.E Joseph Nyuma Boakai. President Boakai graduated from the University of Liberia from the College of Business. The initial Doctoral Programs are in the areas of Public Health and Education Administration/Supervision. The graduate and research program/department presently offers separate  Master Degrees in Public Health and Education Administration/Supervision. It also offers master degrees in International Relations, Regional Science and Planning, Environmental Science and Climate Change, and Peace and Conflict Studies. The University is neither offering master degrees nor Doctoral Programs in all academic disciplines that it offers at the undergraduate levels. I pray and hope it will do some day to allow Liberians the opportunity to study what they prefer in their own country.  Other disciplines that are offering graduate degrees could develop their doctoral programs going forward when they have the qualified and competent faculties as required universally in the context of academic rigors. At the University level, generally Masters should teach Bachelor’s degree programs, Doctoral degrees should teach Master degree students and Drs. Should teach doctoral students. I am aware that in some cases this has not been the case. This must change. We have qualified and competent Liberians in and out of the country. Simply recruit them based on merit and pay them well  on time.

The University like anywhere else in Liberia has got some problems/challenges. Poor Infrastructure is one of the key challenges at the University. Low wages with delayed Salaries is another. Lack of universal access to internet is yet another. Infrequent electricity is the other. The Board of Directors, now chaired by a Senator, with the Administration at the University must take responsibility of these challenges and problems. The transformation of the dilapidated infrastructure at the University needs to occur. There needs to be an upgrade to accommodate the existing undergraduate, graduate, or post graduate programs. Professors’ salaries need to be increased and paid on time. You cannot let professors and staff work without pay for months. Such things invite corruption in some instances. In fact low and delayed salaries lead to Part-time faculties holding full-time jobs and working as part-time lecturers at the University. As this writing goes on, Part-time Teachers have not been paid for last academic year yet. I am highly uncertain that the University will begin the new academic year this month. If this happens in 2024, I will remain grateful to God. The University needs to and must support research and innovation. We fund our personally research initiatives.

The University runs its own budget annually, and  all graduate students and Law School Students pay for their studies ($US150.00 for registration and US$75.00 for a credit hour). Undergraduate school is now tuition free. Former President George Weah without consultation with the Board and Administration made that tuition free policy pronouncement abruptly. We Were there. This Government must refine the policy to its liking. Should public schools’ students attend tuition free higher Education schools without any responsibility to the State? There should be a requirement for National Service for all such students after graduation for instance. Other Liberians are paying their hard earned monies at Private Institutions. The State has the responsibility to empower its key resource for development (the people). Where does the money raised by the University go? Where does the University budget go? As I see it, The University of Liberia needs to be and must be audited. Salaries at University are about US$1.5 million monthly. This means about US $18M is spent on salaries annually. Presently, the University has about US$32m annual budget in the 2024 National Budget. Besides upgrading the archaic infrastructure, we need constant supply of high speed internet with constant supply of electricity. In fact, these are things that students, professors and other researchers could use to produce and advance innovative actions through Research and Innovation. Times have changed. The University must also change with times by promoting, investing in, and adequately supporting research and innovation.

AS I SEE IT, the University of Liberia can, should and must serve as an engine of economic growth for Liberia. Other Higher institutions of learning must also do. I therefore welcome the Doctoral Programs launched on Wednesday, 23^rd October 2024 at the University of Liberia. Let us make the University work in the best interest of the Nation. There are competent, professional, and qualified Liberians in and outside of Liberia that can be meritoriously recruited and paid handsomely to teach at the University of Liberia. Every county or district or town, etc. in Liberia has a student at the University of Liberia. I hope H.E Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of the Republic of Liberia and the Visitor to the University of the University of Liberia who himself is a graduate of the University will appoint the President of the University of Liberia without further delays. One of Africa’s oldest Universities needs a President immediately. Liberia, Africa’s oldest Republic, deserves a Doctoral Program. The launch of the doctoral program is long overdue but welcomed now. Congratulations to the Government of the Republic and University authorities.

About the Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New University, Republic of Slovenia where he researched International Development and Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was ‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development.’ He earned his second master’s degree as a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia on 17 December 2014. He obtained his first master’s degree as Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest Distinction) in 2009 and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science in 2003 from the University of Liberia where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He also holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other diplomas and certificates in professional fields. Prof. Kaydor is equally an Adjunct Professor of Development Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based researcher and a published author. One can reach him via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr or +231777027180/+231555266613).