MONROVIA — During the 104th combined commencement at the University of Liberia, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, issued a stark warning about the necessity for academic reform to maintain the institution’s relevance in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Addressing graduates from the J.J.R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Forestry, College of Engineering, and the David A. Straz-Sinje Vocational and Technical College in Fendel, Dr. Nyan emphasized the urgent need for the university to modernize its degree programs. “The world is changing rapidly, and the skills and knowledge required for success are evolving,” Dr. Nyan stated in his commencement address. “The University of Liberia must therefore redesign its science programs to better prepare graduates for the challenges of the future.”
Dr. Nyan advocated for a comprehensive review and revision of the university’s curriculum to foster critical thinking and align with the technological and global demands of today’s world. He highlighted the importance of integrating data science, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, and biotechnology into the curriculum. He also called for an interdisciplinary approach and student-centered teaching methods focused on problem-solving.
He expressed concerns that the university’s current programs are falling behind the rapid advancements in higher education and, without substantial reforms, particularly within the science colleges, the institution might struggle to produce graduates equipped for the 21st century.
Dr. Nyan also emphasized the need for the university administration to enforce a merit-based system for professorship, heavily focused on cutting-edge research and its dissemination to students. “The administration must ensure that professorship is tied to the conduct of groundbreaking research, the results of which should be shared with the student population for their advancement,” he asserted.
In his powerful speech, Dr. Nyan also highlighted the importance of the university establishing an Endowment Fund, engaging in farming, and incorporating Research and Development into its academic process to fund these necessary reforms. He suggested collaboration with the Alumni Association to help mobilize funds and urged the government to increase the education budget to support these initiatives.
Reflecting on the broader implications of education, Dr. Nyan shared a cautionary tale of a young engineer whose corruption undermined his potential to benefit society, thereby wasting resources and perpetuating cycles of poverty and underdevelopment. He implored the new graduates to embody the virtues of honesty, integrity, and patriotism, stressing that the misuse of education not only fails the individual but the nation at large.
“Your degree is not just a testament to your hard work but a call to national service. The Liberia we all seek will only be possible if you use your education for the common good and not for personal gain,” Dr. Nyan concluded, challenging the graduates to be agents of change and uphold the human side of education in their professional endeavors.
Dr. Nyan’s remarks were a poignant reminder of the responsibilities that come with higher education and the critical role academic institutions play in shaping the future of a nation.
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