CU FOUNDER'S DAY PUSHED AHEAD BY ONE WEEK

Cuttington University has vigorously embarked upon a USD$1 Million dollar Fund Drive .  This Fund Drive , which is being spearheaded by the President of the Republic of Liberia , Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was officially launched on December 20, 2007, at Cuttington University Graduate School in Monrovia and is expected to continued until Cuttington University Founder's Day, February 22-23, but has been pushed to February 29-March 1, 2008 because of the visit of the President of the United States of America, George Bush.  This Founder's Day Program will be celebrated by a series of activities ranging from a grand rally on Friday, February 29, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Centennial Pavillion, followed by an ìOld Fashion Danceî at the Monrovia City Hall in the evening.  On Saturday, March 1, two mighty football clubs, Mighty Barrolle and the Invincible Eleven (IE) will clash horns in soccer at the S. K. D. Sports Stadium at 4:00 p.m., to be followed by another contest between the University of Liberia and Cuttington University in basketball at the Sports Commission on the same Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Cuttington University in collaboration with UNESCO (through the auspices of its Dakar office ñ Department of Social and Human Sciences), the ìMOST,î Management of Social Transformation Program, and support from IDRC (Canada), hosted a two-day national seminar on regional integration in West Africa from Monday ñTuesday, 21- 22 January 2008 at the Mamba Point Hotel

in Monrovia .

The Workshop which brought together leading academic, professionals, public officials, policy makers, local leaders and members of civil society organizations, and other local and foreign dignitaries formed a part of the UNESCO research interface within the series: ìThe Nation State and Challenges of Regional Integration in West Africa,î a project of the UNESCO Management of Social Transformation Program (MOST).  According to Professor Boubacar Barry, Coordinator of the MOST Program, similar seminars have already been held in all other 14 West Africa countries and each has been context-specific with a focus on the peculiar challenges facing the nation state hosting the seminar and how these can be tackled to enhance prospects for local (national) and regional integration. In the wake of the Liberian seminar, that brings to number 15 countries in the sub-region which have hosted their national seminars, save Nigeria , which is expected to host her own seminar soon. Following the seminar, Professor Barry expressed satisfaction with the successful outcome of the program and personally extolled the efforts of the Liberian national MOST coordinating team, comprising Dr. Joseph Guannu, Raymond Da-boi, Baysah Corvah of the Institutute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Cuttington University, and Mr. Orando Yanquoi, Director for Regional Integration, Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, Republic of Liberia.

The seminar was marked by stimulating discussions and interactions and frank exchanges amongst participants, presenters, panelists, discussants and chairs on a number of burning and very sticky issues at the individual, institutional, national and regional levels, and inherent challenges to national and regional integration in West Africa and the continent at large.  Making an opening remark at the program, the presidents of the Cuttington University and the University of Liberia University of , Dr. Henrique F. Tokpa and Dr. Al Hassan Conteh lauded the UNESCO initiative to provoke dialogue among academic and policy makers in an attempt to bridge the gap between theory, policy and practice. They both stressed that integration was crucial to building a viable and strong sub-region and continent. Dr. Conteh offered to promote collaboration with the Cuttington University and the University of Liberia and a closer link between the two sister-programs at both universities, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (Cuttington), and Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation (University of Liberia). He challenged the Director of the Cuttington Peace Institute, Dr. Joseph Guannu to engage his colleague, Prof. Debey Sayndee, Director, Kofi Annan Institute to make this collaboration efficacious.

Also making remarks at the seminar were: Mr. Orando Yanquoi, Director for Regional Integration, Ministry of Planning, who deputized for the Minister of Planning, who could not attend the seminar due to other pressing national engagements, Dr. George F. Bolay, Marias Carrie, UNESCO, Ambassador Corsino Tolentino, Director, West Africa Institute for Regional Integration (Cape Verde), among others.

In a related development, the West Africa Institute for Regional Integration (WAI) was officially announced at the seminar. The Institute will provide an opportunity for interface between policy and research on, among others, issues of regional integration, globalization, cooperation, interstate, transnational and regional collaboration, etc. Announcing the Institute was its premier director, Amb. Dr. Tolentino. The Institute is based in Cape Verde will support from the Government of Cape Verde and ECOWAS.

Sub-themes and papers presented at the seminar were: 1. The Role of Higher Education in Post-War Reconstruction and Regional Integration: The Case of Liberia by Mr. Theodore Brown, Chairman & Professor, Department of Education, Cuttington University; 2. Perspectives and Policies in Education vis-?-vis the Nation-State and Challenges of Regional Integration in West Africa by Dr. D. E. S. Kandakai, FAWE Liberia; 3. Poverty, Conflict and Peace by Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, Board Chairman, Susuku Liberia & Professor of Economics, University of Liberia; 4. The Concepts of Socio-Cultural Variables as the Paradigms for Regional Integration in West Africa: The Case of Liberia by Prof. Stephen M. Jubwe, Professor of Sociology & Acting Dean, Liberia College, University of Liberia; 4. Integration and Regional Security in West Africa and the Mano River Union: Issue, Problems, Challenges and Prospects by K. Raymond Da-boi, Lecturer of Peace and Conflict Studies & Business Management/ Research Fellow, Peace Institute, Cuttington University; 5. Trade as A Factor of Regional Integration in West Africa by Dr. Brahima D. Kaba, International Trade Consultant & Associate Professor for Instructional Services, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Maryland, USA, and 6. Citizenship as a Factor of Integration in Liberia and the Mano River Union (MRU) by Prof. Alhaji G. V. Kromah, Professor, IBB Graduate School of International Studies, University of Liberia.  

As a follow-up to the seminar, these papers will be reviewed and possibly re-worked, then published in a book to form Liberia 's position on the discourse of Regional Integration within the context of West Africa . The book will be jointly published by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and UNESCO, and shall be titled: ìThe Nation State and Challenges of Regional Integration in West Africa : The Case of Liberia.î

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution wishes to extend its thanks and appreciation to UNESCO for allowing it to plan, organize and execute such an important program, to the President of the Cuttington University for his level of support towards the seminar and the Institute as a whole and all those who contributed in one way or another towards the successful holding of the Liberian National ìMOSTî seminar.

Partial view of participants at the opening session of the conference

 Script written by: Ramond Da-boi/Peace Institute of Cuttington

back to top

TWO CU STAFF EXTEND IAESTE GENERAL CONFERENCE IN JORDAN

  Mr. Jimmy, second from right in first row and Mr. Flomo next

On January 14, 2008, the University sent two of its employees (Augustus J. Flomo-Special Assistant to the President for Administration and Development and Francis F. Jimmy-Lecturer of the College of Agriculture) to participate in the General Conference of the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) held in Jordan.

According to a report written by the two-man team, this Association operates a highly practical training exchange program between members in order to enhance technical and professional development and to promote international understanding and goodwill among students, academic institutions, employers and the wider community. It operates irrespective of race, color, sex or creed. The organization is aimed at providing students in higher education with technical experience relevant to their studies, offers employers well qualified and motivated trainees and to be a source of cultural enrichment for trainees and their host communities.

After some frantic efforts were exerted by the two-man team on why must Cuttington University be a member of this body, Cuttington was accredited as Co-operating Institution.  As such, Cuttington has now become the headquarters of IAESTE Liberia where the National Secretary and President will be based, meaning that the National Secretariat will be composed of various local committee members around the country headed by Cuttington. Also, all institutions will have to register with the National Committee at Cuttington to become member of IAESTE Liberia. If IAESTE Liberia works well, she will be given the opportunity to apply for associate membership during the next conference and in another year, full membership.

Reporting on areas of benefits for Cuttington, the two-man report gave the below statistics:

I. Areas of faculty recruitment for CU

II. Job Offers received for overseas job training