UL Links up with German Institution
Published: 16 November, 2005
GERMANY, November 16 -- The University of Liberia has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Dortmund University in Germany. The memorandum was signed recently in Germany at the end of a five-day visit by the President of the University of Liberia and the Lord Mayor of Monrovia, Hon. Ophelia Hoff Saytumah, along with other Liberians.
Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh, President of the University of Liberia, and Dr. Eberhard Becker of the Dortmund University signed a memorandum of cooperation in electronics, spatial planning, biochemistry, cultural studies, German language and literature.
The Administration of Dortmund University will also support the expansion of international contacts of the Liberian University Exchange. Students, visitors and professors are also part of its cooperation packages with the University of Liberia.
“This is a very big step for our country,” Hoff-Saytumah explained. “Liberia really needs everything it can get. Monrovia was once a beautiful city. Nowadays there are 1.5 million people living in a city with infrastructure that was built for 400,000. There is no running water and not enough power to supply each household, too few streets and houses and not enough medical and health facilities. Therefore, we are very happy about the help from Germany.”
Mrs. Hoff-Saytumah also visited the mayor of Dortmund, Hon. Adolf Miksch. They established another long-term cooperative partnership. “Dortmund is an international and friendly city.”
The Mayor of Monrovia summed up her five-day visit to Germany by saying: “We are very happy that our visit to Germany has been so successful.” The Mayor and delegation were in the Ruhrgebit between October 17th and the 21st.
Making remarks Major Miksch said: I am very pleased, in indeed, to meet other people from around the world. “I am very grateful to Dr. Baumhogger for this initiative to bring us these distinguished visitors. The cooperation between Dortmund University and the University of Liberia is a great start. I hope that we will be able to cooperate on other levels, including economic development.”
Also making remarks, Dortmund entrepreneur Dr. Richard Baumhogger, who has been active in resource mobilization for Liberian said: “We hope that in the near future, we will be able to build a hotel in Monrovia. This is very important since visiting politicians, diplomats and investors from around the world will need somewhere to stay.”
Dr Baumhogger, president of Arcadia Wohfuhlgruppe, owns 32 hotels and residences that are part of the Mercur Hotels chain in Germany. He said, “The poverty in Liberia is unbelievable to us. In our country we complain when garbage is collected a day later than expected. In Monrovia there is nobody there to collect the rubbish. Power, running water, streets and medical doctors are adequate for us, but in short supply to the people of Liberia.
Despite the poverty, I always meet friendly and outgoing people in this country, on all my visits. The people of Liberia need help of any kind, including running water and expansion of their educational system,” the entrepreneur explained.
Meanwhile, the German government has provided 10.7 million Euros for the reconstruction of Liberia. German Ambassador to Liberia Thomas Freudenbammer said that the three-year fixed grant was a clear sign of trust on the part of his government in the Liberian peace process. The money will be used for developments in agriculture, roads, education, water supply and sanitation.
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