By Christian J. Appleton
HARPER, Maryland County — Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has challenged William V.S. Tubman University (TU) to strengthen research and innovation and translate academic knowledge into practical solutions to the development challenges confronting southeastern Liberia.
Speaking at TU’s 17th anniversary celebration in Harper, Minister Ngafuan said the university’s contribution to national development should extend beyond classroom instruction, urging the institution to make research more responsive to the needs of surrounding communities.
He called on TU to become a regional problem-solving center, with research targeting pressing issues including coastal erosion, climate-resilient roads, renewable energy, sustainable mining, agriculture and public health.
“Make Tubman University the Southeast’s problem-solving laboratory,” Ngafuan said, stressing that research should address challenges that directly affect citizens’ lives and livelihoods.
The Finance Minister argued that academic knowledge has limited development value if it remains confined to textbooks, classrooms and laboratories without producing measurable benefits for communities.
“Knowledge must leave the textbook and enter the rice field. Innovation must leave the laboratory and reach the marketplace,” he emphasized.
Ngafuan also urged TU faculty and researchers to align their work with Liberia’s broader development priorities, particularly in sectors where southeastern Liberia continues to face significant infrastructure, economic and social challenges.
“To the faculty, help Liberia discover what it needs to know,” he urged.
The minister’s remarks place greater emphasis on the practical relevance and measurable impact of university research, raising the question of whether TU can strengthen the link between academic research, government policy, private-sector needs and community development.
With its location in southeastern Liberia, Ngafuan said TU is strategically positioned to study regional challenges and develop solutions that could eventually be applied nationally.
The challenge comes as Tubman University continues to expand its academic programs, infrastructure and institutional capacity under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Olu Q. Menjay.
For TU, the call presents an opportunity to move research from academic production toward evidence-based problem solving, particularly in communities where development challenges remain immediate and persistent.
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