Inducts 48 standout freshmen into College of Gender Studies and Interdisciplinary Research’s Honors Scholars Program
Monrovia, Liberia – In a celebration of academic achievement, the University of Liberia (UL) inducted 48 exceptional freshmen into the Honors Scholars Program of the College of Gender Studies and Interdisciplinary Research on Wednesday. The event honors students who continued to hold prestigious academic positions during their first year of studies.
The induction was a focal point of the college’s 9th Annual Research Symposium, which was hosted at the Fendall Campus. This year’s ceremony was significant for two reasons: it started the celebrations for the University’s 105th Commencement on Vacation and represented the 12th induction in the program’s history.
Forty of the new entrants are men, and eight are women. The inductees were chosen from among the university’s colleges based on their strong academic records during their first year at UL.
With the aim of equipping students with the long-term research knowledge and abilities required to address pressing national concerns, the Honors Scholars Program establishes a platform for top-notch academic instruction in interdisciplinary research. The Program’s goal is to teach the University’s best students how to conduct efficient research in order to recognize and address pressing national issues.
At the symposium, five graduating honors scholars who had finished their coursework delivered their research papers in addition to the 48 new scholars being inducted. The Sustainable Development Goals of the UN were discussed in every paper. After each scholar’s seven-minute presentation, there was a five-minute window for audience and high table questions and answers.
Among the presenters were Vahcelia D. Vah, who gave a presentation titled “Pageantry Exploitation and the Financial Implications for Girls Participating in Miss Earth Liberia,” Jude Zondoe T. Summerville, who discussed “Assessment of Groundwater Quality in Chicken Soup Factory Community,” and Jeremiah J. Doryen, who discussed “Assessing the Impact of Gender on Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Liberia: A Case Study of the House of Representatives (2023-2025).”
The College of Gender Studies and Interdisciplinary Research’s head, Madam Lorpu Garmai Blackie, stated that the admissions procedure is a demanding one. According to her, pupils need to keep their cumulative GPA at 3.33. Additionally, Dean Blackie stated that these students must maintain their grade point average from the start of their second year until they graduate. Scholars are highly regarded worldwide, according to Dnors. She noted that the first batch was recruited in 2011 as part of this fantastic effort at the University of Liberia.
According to a special statement made by the University of Liberia’s president, Dr. Layli Maparyan, the event unites two of the institution’s most enduring commitments. She mentioned the celebration of academic brilliance and the growth of rigorous scholarship first.
According to Dr. Maparyan, the University of Liberia has long seen research as a public good a potent instrument for social change, policy reform, and national development—rather than just an academic endeavor since its founding as Liberia College, which evolved into a university in 1951.
President Maparyan urged the inductees to pursue research that is moral, audacious, and significant as they progress in their academic careers, stating that work that tackles the concerns of the country and beyond promotes sustainable development.
“It is therefore fitting that today’s engagement is framed under the theme ‘Contribution of Equitable Research to Sustainable Development. At 75 years old, the University of Liberia stands as a national symbol of intellectual leadership and social responsibility,” said President Maparyan.
Dr. Maparyan argues that since its inception as Liberia College, which changed its name to a university in 1951, the University of Liberia has long viewed research as a public benefit, a powerful tool for social change, policy reform, and national development, rather than merely an academic pursuit.
President Maparyan encouraged the inductees to undertake ethically sound, bold, and important research as their academic careers advance, claiming that work addressing both domestic and global challenges fosters sustainable development. “When research is equitable, when it is inclusive in design, when it is participatory in method and responsive in outcome, it becomes a force that uplifts communities and leaves no one behind,” the President said.
Additionally, Dr. Maparyan praised the College of Gender Studies and Interdisciplinary Research for its ongoing leadership in advancing development-oriented, policy-relevant, and socially conscious research. According to President Maparyan, the college has created an essential forum for academic discussion that encourages creativity, critical thinking, and solutions based on justice and equity through the yearly symposium.
“Let me express my sincere gratitude to our honor scholars who are being admitted today,” she said. “It is a privilege and a duty to be inducted. In addition to your academic prowess, you are being acknowledged for your capacity to lead with honesty, curiosity, and purpose.”
President Maparyan spoke to the graduating honors scholars and gave them praise for their training in the prestigious University of Liberia unit.
Reported by: Joel Moore
