By: Stephen G. Fellajuah
MONROVIA – In an effort to transform higher education in Liberia and to put the country in contemporary range with other countries in the subregion, the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) has granted the BlueCrest University College Liberia permit to offer a Master’s degree in Information Technology.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, November 1, 2022, in the conference room of the University campus in Congo Town, the Director General of the National Commission on Higher Education, Prof. Edward Lama Wonkeryor announced that the Commission based on evaluation, has systematically made as regard to the BlueCrest University College application to offer Master degree in Information Technology, has been completed.
“It is the position of the Board of Commissioners of Higher Education which I am the Secretary to announce to the Public that effective yesterday the Commission wrote the President of the BlueCrest University to inform him that his application to offer Master’s degree in Information Technology has been approved”, said NCHE Director General Prof. Wonkeryor, adding that the institution has been authorized under the Commission’s policy to began operation effective immediately.
Additionally, he noted that in essence the NCHE has fulfilled very chronologically its due diligence and ultimately the University has fulfilled the requirements set by the Commissioner which it was granted provisionally two years and will begin operation in January 2023.
It may be called that last year the National Commission on Higher Education fined the BlueCrest University College US$10,000 dollars for inadvertently deciding at the time to pursue a graduate program without the evaluation and approval by the Commission.
However, according to the NCHE boss, the institution applied and a assessment team including himself judicially assessed the University procedure including having top notch Faculty predominantly over five PHD’s holders, spacious environment to offer graduate studies.
Prof.Wonkeryor while speaking further indicated that the only contentious issue is for BlueCrest to have a University campus hopefully in two years to pursue possible avenue to secure land to establish a campus, but in the meantime the Commission cannot hold them hostage because they are in the position to educate the Liberian people in support of President George Manneh Weah commitment to empower Liberian so that they can become industrially advanced.
“Because of these principles, the Board of Commissioners including NCHE which I head decided to proffer provisional accreditation. We will be coming in the duration of the two years to assess if it is fully in compliance with the mandate that we have instituted”, he emphasized further.
For his part, the President of the BlueCrest University College Mr. Dr. Umesh Neelakantan with delight thanked the NCHE for the acknowledgement which he termed as a feeling of reality and said that it is very important that his institution secure a full fledge international university campus and to make sure that the general education of Liberia is fruitful.
“BlueCrest is honored by this achievement. It is a very important accreditation for the institution. Besides higher education, social enlightenment is also important and that is why we launched the Let’s Make Liberia Great Inter School Football Tournament today to promote the hidden talents of Liberia youthful population”, Dr. Neelakantan expressed and added that this is the time that his institution can give the best service to Liberia through information technology.
NCHE formulates broad policy guidelines for the establishment of Institutions of Higher Education in Liberia, serves as the regulatory body for all Institutions offering degrees, and coordinates and serves as the principal liaison between Institutions of learning offering degrees in the country.
Additionally, the Commission facilitates the establishment of an autonomous National Accreditation Center responsible to accredit all higher institutions of learning in Liberia.
Approves new and existing programs of higher education for funding, after having satisfied itself of their needs for national development and assessing the institution’s ability to implement the program; and review existing programs at institutions of higher education with the aim of establishing priority programs of study based on national needs.
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