Boakai Elated Launching UL Doctoral Program -Says It’s Significant Milestone in Liberia’s Education Sector

MONROVIA – The Joseph Boakai administration has added value to Liberia’s education sector with the launch of doctoral programs at the biggest academic referral facility of the country, the state-run University of Liberia. As The Analyst reports, the President, who personally officially oversaw the launching ceremonies said he was elated that such a significant feat was achieved.

The Chief Executive of Liberia, President Joseph N. Boakai, said he was delighted presiding over the official ceremonies marking the launch of doctoral programs at the University of Liberia, which he described “my Alma Mater, and our nation’s premier higher education institution”.

Speaking at program marking the official launch of the doctoral program, he said the symposium on relevant issues on the theme, “Strengthening Research and Innovation for Higher Education Transformation in Liberia” would be held immediately following the launching program.

Boakai indicated that the program was “a significant milestone in our country’s educational sector because it dramatically impacts the educational landscape by elevating Liberia’s intellectual and research capabilities”.

President Boakai reaffirms his government’s commitment to academic excellence, research, and innovation, noting the commitments would position Liberia as a knowledge-based economy “that will inform our economic growth through advanced research and innovative initiatives”.

“This is why the education pillar in our ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), highlights higher education, innovation, and research,” he emphasized.

According to him, the overall ARREST Agenda, which is now being transformed into a national development plan for the next five years, seeks to promote sustainable human development through Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.

He added: “It is my expectation that the doctoral programs we are launching today will have significant and positive impacts in supporting and ensuring a sustainable implementation of the AAID, especially pillar four of the agenda, which acknowledges that education is critical for the development of any nation, but our educational system is replete with many challenges that affect not just access but also educational quality and outcomes.”

The Liberian chief executive further said that with efforts to improve the country’s education sector, “the rolling out of these doctoral programs has come at an opportune time in our national growth and renewal”.

He said his government remains committed to supporting and investing in higher education infrastructure, research funding, scholarships, and partnerships with international institutions.

He maintained that these endeavors align with his administration’s policies or educational reforms to uplift the country’s human resource capacity.

“This commitment is just serious but also deliberate and profound,” he continued. “In this context, doctoral programs at the University of Liberia will help build and produce highly skilled graduates capable of contributing to national development and competing on the global stage, contributing to scientific and educational advancements.”

He said averred that the programs also do have the potential to attract international students and scholars, eventually making Liberia a hub for knowledge production and research.

The President however called for collective effort in making the program a reality, noting this would only be possible when “we work together as one government and blend our expertise, efforts, and resources toward the objective of supporting research, innovation and capacity building for enhancement of the nation’s development”.

The Liberian leader also stressed the importance of government collaboration with the private sector, international universities, and research institutions, including the Consortium of United States Universities for the Support of Higher Education in Liberia, to ensure that these programs receive broad support, collaborations, and accreditations.

Meanwhile, President Boakai has pledged his government’s full support through budgetary appropriations to ensure that the necessary resources are provided for this groundbreaking capacity-building initiative.

He lauded everyone who contributed to the success of the program, including the UL administration, international partners and agencies, collaborating partners who helped produce the curriculum in the health sciences that makes this program possible.

He also commended the first cohort of doctoral students and remind them of their responsibility as pioneers to uphold the core values of the doctoral programs, including intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, intellectual integrity, and accountability.