Liberia: Notre Dame University Officially Launched
NOTRE DAME University College of Liberia (NDUCL) has opened its doors to the Liberian public, stressing strong support to improving academic activities in the country.
Renowned as a global learning hub, NDUCL considers itself as a tertiary institution that has multi-cultural identity that aims at developing the uniqueness inherent in each of its students regardless of race, religion, social class and political affiliation.
The university’s president, DR. Maroun Zogheib, said Notre Dame, a global learning institution that is also operating in many parts of the world including the United States of America, Lebanon, will play a big role in the society of Liberia.
He said the University provides high-quality education that would train innovative, highly motivated, and well-rounded citizens that will influence and influence the fields of education, business, social sciences, and technology.
It also has a team of qualified national and international educators, well-experienced and professional administrators, and dedicated staff who have over 30 years of combined experience, each in a variety of academic and professional disciplines.
“NDUL faculty members are passionate individuals who are dedicated to ongoing research in their respective fields and bring with them a diverse wealth of knowledge and skills,” Zogeib said.
He revealed at the launch that the college would follow an advanced international curriculum with contextual relevance that contributes to building and developing quality education within Liberia.
“The NDUL is a private, non- profit, non-sectarian, non- discriminatory institution of higher education created to enhance the academic lives of Liberia’s varied students’ population,” Zogheib said. “We will provide our students the right academic information that will enable them to become responsible citizens, productive members of society, agents of positive change and sort after future leaders.”
According to him, the University will be a sustainable model with a positive impact, extending into the local and global community for future generations.
“There is no doubt that there is an urgent need for national and internationally qualified teachers to raise the quality of education in Liberia. Our experience and expertise in the field of global education creates an awareness of the acute need for qualified teachers and education administrators in Liberia,” he noted.
President Zogheib explained that the foundational stage of the University commenced with the college of Education, approved by the NCHE and licensed to offer Bachelor’s degree level programs with emphasis on education for an initial two years, beginning August 19, 2020.
President Zogheib further explained that NDUL reapplied to the NCHE for accreditation Status which was granted on December 15, 2022, programs included offering, Information Technology, International Relation & Development Studies, Sciences, Agriculture and Business- related majors.
“The NDUL strategic goal for quality educational provision in Liberia, achieving this, cannot be done in isolation from having an international partnership or affirmation through mentoring; thereby partnering with Notre Dame University in Lebanon,” he added.
Bishop Simon Faddoul, chairperson for the board of trustees of NDUL said his institution would contribute to elevating Liberia’s international educational credentials.
“NDUL is a private, non-profit, non-discriminatory and non-sectarian institution of higher education. It is about making young people become productive and responsible members of society,” Faddoul said.
He said NDUL encourages freedom of expression and respect for diverse views and enjoys a multicultural identity as well as appreciates social emotions. “We teach our students to lead with respect, dignity and integrity and exceptional standards,” Faddoul concluded.
There were an array of diplomatic and consular corps, including Ghana, Nigeria, USA, Lebanon and France ambassadors in attendance.
Making brief remarks, French ambassador Michael Roux said it is commendable that NDUL has joined ranks with other higher learning institutions to educate the Liberian population, mainly the young people on whose shoulders nation building is placed.
Roux noted, however, that teaching French as a course should be considered at NDUCL to broaden the minds of students and afford them the opportunities to communicate in both English and French as they graduate from the university.
Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed NDUCL and Notre Dame University-Lebanon. The MOU, sealed during the launch, will promote students exchange programs as a way of enhancing academic activities between the two institutions.
“The MOU that we signed today is for the benefit of our nation. In my heart, I feel Liberian. After 10 years in Liberia, working for education, I feel that I am part of this country’s efforts for lifting people out of poverty through quality education, Zoogheib said.
He added that the university has over 190 exchange programs and from the MOU signed with Notre Dame University-Lebanon, his students will benefit a lot from the student exchange programs.
The school was accredited in September 2020 by the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE). This was after NDUCL satisfied the requirements enlisted by NCHE to operate full degree granting programs.
The school offers courses in Business, Information Technology, Education, Project Management, Interior Design and Languages (French, English, Arabic and Spanish) among others as well as certificate and diploma courses for Corporate Institutions, NGOs, and Bank Businesses, etc.