By Precious D. Freeman
The United Methodist University (UMU) Patrizia Ziveri School of Marine Sciences has been launched in partnership with Blue Action Network (BAN) outlining several benefits.
Speaking at the launch yesterday in Monrovia, the president of the UMU, Yar Donlah Gonway-Gono envisaged that the establishment of a School of Marine Sciences could prove an excellent start for Liberia.
Dr. Gonway-Gono mentioned that those who will enter the UMU School of Marine Sciences will lead the new frontier that they are trying to build for the protection of the coastal environment and related marine activities.
According to her, the healthier the oceans, the better the environment will be and as such, UMU through its School of Marine Sciences will create the requisite ocean awareness outreach program that will empower school-age youths for the effective management of Liberia’s marine industry.
“From the academic perspective; let me give you few pointers on what Liberia stands to benefit from the UMU School of Marine Sciences. Liberia and its population depend heavily on the health of the marine and coastal environment. The coastal economy and population directly benefit from the goods and services that are available from the marine and coastal sector of the country,” she explained.
President Gonway-Gono added that the extractive industries of renewable and non-renewable natural resources (for example fish, oil and gas) can be a major source of income for Liberia and rural households once the School of Marine Sciences develops and trains professionals.
She intoned that significant ecosystem benefits provided by the coastal and marine environment include natural coastal protection, climate regulation, carbon storage, and biodiversity.
“The problems that the School Of Marine Sciences is here to address through this partnership created by us through our actions which is therefore required of us through international coordinated local, national and global actions to solve them” she said.
She maintained that following trending development issues of the country, she does not want to witness Liberia being caught unaware when some discovery is made about the known and unknown natural resources.
Speaking further, she maintained that UMU wants to be fully prepared in managing natural resources, and also wants to step up to the challenge by widening the academic space that will help develop the human-resource capacity of Liberia for the sake of marine environment and other natural resources.
“Widening the academic space is not going to be limited to the School of Marine Sciences, but we have rather set into motion and modernized some of the academic services,” she added.
She explained that online classes have been rolled out at the graduate school, and have raised the standard of ICT department to ICT college, and will not just teach agriculture but the students are in the field growing crops that will bring in funds for the university and provide food for the community.
“Through our partnership with OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and Blue Action Network, we will not only be teaching the sciences, but our students will go beyond the classroom by applying the sciences.
Meanwhile, she is calling on all partners to support the UMU in making this a reality, not only for the university community but for Liberia.
