Prof. Dr. Ashok Daryan and Prof. Dr. Josephus M. Gray
Dr. Ashok Daryan, President of Sharda University, New Delhi, India, and Dr. Josephus M. Gray, Dean of Prof. Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia agreed to co-author a book title: Impact of Diplomacy Tenets: Liberia-U.S.-India’s Relations.
The two scholars, Dr. Ashok Daryan, President of Sharda University and Dr. Josephus Gray, Dean of Prof. Amos C. Sawyer, College of Social Sciences and Humanities reached the agreement on October 6, 2022 in the presence of the high-powered delegation from UL and Sharda University during a meeting held in Dr. Daryan’s official office.
In this endeavor, the president of Sharda University, India volunteered that Sharda University to foot the bill for the publication and expressed his readiness to pen the introduction of the book. He made the request to Dr. Gray during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Liberia and Sharda University.
The ceremony took place in the Conference Hall of the Sharda University Administrative Cell in Greater Noida, New Delhi. The Sharda University president expressed optimism that Dr. Gray will use his expertise to infuse high quality into the publication to meets readers’ demands for details about the three countries’ friendship, contributions to global peace, governance and democracy.
Furthermore, Dr. Ashok Daryan commended Dr. Josephus Gray for his recent publication titled: Effect of Diplomacy: “Liberia-U.S.-China’s Triangular Relations with international serial book number, (ISBN) : 13:978_1665522557( hard copy); ISBN- 10:1665522550( soft copy published by Amazon.com and on sale in 161 countries across the globe. Assistant Prof. Richmond Anderson, Chairman of the Department Political Science was equally thanked for his publication. The two authors are from the Prof. Amos Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Responding, Dr. Gray, a Professor of International Relations and Foreign Policy expressed optimism and wholeheartedly welcomed Sharda University president request. Dr. Gray described the request as a great gesture and opportunity to share new knowledge on Impact of Diplomacy Tenets: Liberia-U.S.-India’s Relations.
According to him, the University of Liberia is always on the lookout for meaningful international collaborations and partnership. We have signed several MOUs with some of world’s best academic institutes and universities, added that the University of Liberia alliance Sharda University will further strengthens institution’s commitment to provide students the best quality education and knowledge.
Acceding to Dr. Gray, the MoU gives the University of Liberia immense pleasure to collaborate with Sharda University in several aspects. He admonished students from Liberia attending at Sharda University and other universities and higher institutions in India to make use of this unique opportunity to pursue their objectives to acquire quality and advance education in their areas of studies.
Dr. Gray expressed optimism that Liberian students in India will promote the country’s image international and avoid those things that have the propensity to embarrass their follow compatriots in India. “We are positive that our students will gain insights into the wonderful Indian education, culture and environment through their wonderful experience at Sharda University in New Delhi.”
As part of the MOU, Sharda University plans to offer students and faculty of the University of Liberia, various interesting scholarly and cultural exchange programs, both short and long terms study opportunities. The MoU provides the students and faculty of both institutions unique prospects to explore the world and gain generous international exposures.
Meanwhile, the MoU paves the way for Sharda University and the University of Liberia to provide undergraduate and graduate students the best academic and educational exchange programs including bachelor, master’s and doctorate degrees, and expand working relationship at academic and mutual levels for the benefit of the two higher institutions.
Major areas of benefits include exchange of faculty and sabbaticals, exchange of Ph.D. scholars, provision of scholarships for postgraduate and undergraduate students, dual degree program, credit transfer programs, short- and long-term customized courses, joint collaborative research projects and publication of a joint peer-viewed research journal.
Sharda University is a multi-disciplinary university recognized by the Government of India and approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India. Sharda University offers internationally recognized Degrees and has memberships of Association of India Universities (AIU) and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), to provide the best of research-based education to its students.
The University of Liberia was founded in 1862 as Liberia College and became a full University in 1951. It is a public institution funded mainly by the Government of Liberia. The University now has four campuses: Capitol Hill, Fendall, Medical School Fendall, and Starz-Sinji campus located in Sinji, Grand Cape Mount County.
Sharda University entered into educational collaborations with Middlesex University, London (UK), Northhumbia University (England), GMIT (Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Galway), Centro De Investigacion Y De Estudios Avanzados Del Ipn (Cinvestav, Mexico), Hochschule Bremerhaven, University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Tertiary Education Commision Of Mauritius (Mauritius), Istanbul Aydin University, Istanbul (Turkey), Payap University (Thailand) and Aeromap Technology Systems (Kingdom of Bahrain).
About Dr. Josephus M. Gray: Associate Professor Josephus M. Gray is a native-born Liberian and illustrious son of the Southeastern village of Kayken, Barclayville Chiefdom, Grand Kru County. Presently, he is the Dean of the Professor Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia, with the academic rank of Associate Professor of International Relations. Liberia College now Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia. Dr. Gray bachelor’s thesis focused on the “Impact of Print Media on Democracy in Liberia”. The study was supervised by Prof. Joe W. Mulbah, the former Chairperson of the Department of Mass Communication. He earned his master’s degree in International Relations in 2009 from the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Graduate School of International Studies, University of Liberia, and his master’s thesis was about the Consequence of the Liberian Civil War. The thesis was done under the supervision of Dr. Sarr Abdulai Vandi, former Director of the IBB Graduate School of International Studies, University of Liberia.
Dr. Gray earned a Ph.D. with high distinction in International Relations and Diplomacy from HELP-CEDS Graduate School in Paris, Republic of France, after seven years hard studies with lots of sacrifices and commitment. The degree is assigned the official registration number 7021, while the institution’s legal authorization number is 0755314U. He gained admission to the school in April 2011 after his appointment as a Political Counsellor at the Embassy of Liberia in Paris, France by the former President of Liberia, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; Dr. Gray continued to be very grateful to the former president of Liberia, his great parents and those who helped him in several ways. The theme of his doctoral dissertation “The Effect of Diplomacy” was successfully defended for over an hour in the presence of five French astute academics Jury.
The 580-page dissertation was conducted under the supervision of by Prof. Dr. Faund Nohra, Associate Professor at Paris Dscartes University in Paris. While members of the jury were Prof. Dr. Souha AKIKI (French), President of Paris Graduate School/ Innovative Knowledge Institute, and Professor at CEDS; Dr. Prof. Michael STRAUSS (German), an Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures and Human Rights and Professor of international law and international relations at the CEDS; Dr. Prof. Michael LEBEDEV (Russian Federation), Senior Diploma at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and Professor at CEDS and Dr. Prof. Fouad NOHRA (French) Associate Professor at Paris Descartes University. The former president of Liberian Association in France and resident of Paris, Mr. Yatay Tuoway, also attended the dissertation defense exercise.
The HELP-CEDS Graduate School, a dynamic and fantastic higher institution of learning located in one of Europe’s sophisticated and technical praiseworthy nations of France is situated at 10 rue Sextius, Michel, 75015, Paris. The institution established in 1984 has existed for three and half decades, while HELP the parent institution of CEDS was established in 1899, and is well respected for producing five winners of Nobel Prize for remarkable inventions in historic fields of studies.
Besides his academic status, Dr. Gray also served in both public and private sectors including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he worked as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Political Counsellor, Embassy of Liberia in Paris, France; Minister Counselor and Charge d’ Affaires, Liberia Permanent Mission to the Swiss Confederation and the United Nations in Genera, Switzerland, and Assistant Foreign Minister for Public Affairs, and a senior research fellow at the International Institute of Research for Strategic Studies in Paris. Also, he holds post-graduate diplomas and certificates in Foreign Policy Studies, International Relations, Diplomacy, Journalism, Development Communication, Research Methodology, and Policy Studies from Paris, France; Genera, Switzerland; Beijing, China; Washington, D.C., USA; Cape Town, South Africa; Rabat, Morocco; Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal and Monrovia, Liberia.
Others include 2006 Sabbatical, Savannah Morning News, Savannah, Georgia, USA; 2021-present: C0-Chair, Board of Trustees, Grand Kru Technical College, Grand Kru County; 2020—2021; International Fellow, International Journalists Exchange (ICFJ), Washington, DC, USA, 2006; Diploma in Modern Diplomacy, Chinese Foreign Affairs University, Beijing, China; 2008 Winner of Diplomat of the Year 2011, Global New Media Network; Foreign News Editor, The INQUIRER Newspaper, Monrovia; 2006 International Journalists Exchange, Washington, DC, USA, 2006; Editorial Consultant, News Visions, Liberia, 2006—2015; World Newspaper Editors Forum. Cape Town, South Africa, 2007; American Newspaper Editors, U.S., 2006.
He further holds membership in international professional associations including International Confucian Institute, Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco; International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Sciences(IJROSS); International Research Journal of Public and Environmental Health, Academia.edu located on 580 California St, Suite 400, San Francisco, USA; Africa-China Think Tanks Forum, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, and formerly served as Director of Communications and Media Relations, Liberia Coalition Project, Florida, USA; former Chairman: Constitution Committee, Reporters Association of Liberian Journalists; former contributor, FrontPage Newspaper, Monrovia; Managing Editor/ Editorial Consultant, News Visions Newspaper, Monrovia
In the area of per-reviewed publication, Dr. Gray has wildly written and published over 300 research articles on contemporary issues and authored three books which are often cited by graduates and doctorate graduates in their theses and dissertations. Similarly, his works are also referred and cited on the official homepage of some diplomatic missions and international research institutions. In the area of academia, he taught research methodology and thesis writing courses including Comm 403 and English 431 at the undergraduate level, while at the master’s studies level, he also taught POSC 613 (Seminar in Decision Making in International Politics); POSC 512 (Government and Politics of Contemporary Africa), POSC 601(International Organizations and Administration) and POSC 507 (Survey of Comparative Politics). He has supervised about 65 master’s theses at the University of Liberia and two doctorate dissertations over the past four academic years.
Meanwhile, few alumni of the CEDS Graduate School include Her Excellency Dr. María Ángela Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Representative to the UN, Assistant Secretary-General of UN, and Former Interim of President of Colombia; Her Excellency Dr. Naela Chohan, High Commission for Pakistan to Australia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Uruguay; Dr. Sidi Tiémoko Touré, Ivorian Minister of Fisheries and Animal Resources; Dr. Dr. Dr. Idriss Aberkane, French Consultant and astute Lecturer; Her Excellency Dr. Gabriela Dancău, Romanian Ambassador to Spain, Italy, Malta, and San Marino; Prof. Dr. Mickael Strauss, Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur; BGen. Dr. Robert Mansour, Director of Signals at Lebanese Armed Forces; Her Excellency Dr. Maryse Saint-Pierre Cyprien, a Haitian diplomat and Minister-Counsellor, Permanent Delegation of Haiti to UNESCO in Paris; Prof. Dr. Paul F.J. ArañaAn American international relations scholar and Instructor at the University of HAWAII, USA and Dr. Adebayo E. Adeyemi, Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria.
Interestingly, in 1899 a farsighted illustrious French woman, Jeanne Weill, better known under the pseudonym of Dick May, created a tertiary institution-Écoles des Hautes Etudes Internationales et Politiques (HELP) which she set up on rue de la Sorbonne in Paris, France, while in 1986 Prof. Dr. Pascal Chaigneau established CEDS postgraduate school as a pioneering postgraduate school in the field of international relations and political science, as a member of the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE) which has a membership of 227 higher educational institutions. Several renowned academics taught at this institution and have immensely contributed to global knowledge.
They include: Paul Deschanel, President of the French Republic in 1920, Professor at HEIP from 1908 to 1918; Émile Durkheim, Founding member of modern French Sociology, Founding member of the League of Human Rights, Professor of “Sociology” at HEIP from 1903 to 1909; Aristide Briand, President of the Council of Ministers 1909 – 1929, Nobel Peace Prize in 1926, Professor of “Social Questions” at HEIP from 1901 to 1902; Paul Vidal De La Blache, Founding member of modern Geography, Professor of “Geography” at HEIP from 1901 to 1917 and André Siegfried, Founding member of Electoral Sociology, Professor of at HEIP from 1902 to 1905.
Others are: Bertrand Russell, British Philosopher, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950, professor at HEIP from 1910 to 1911; Romain Rolland, Writer, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915, Professor of “Literature and literary and Musical Criticism”, professor at HEIP from 1902 to 1911; Arthur Fontaine, Drafter of the Treaty of Versailles (1919), First President of the International Labor Organization from 1919 to 1931, professor of “Right to strike” at HEIP from 1900 to 1915; Leon Duguit, French jurist, Founder of the School of Public Service, professor of “Questions of general law” at HEIP from 1907 to 1911; Leon Bourgeois, President of the Senate from 1920 to 1923, Nobel Peace Prize 1920, Professor of “Democratic Doctrines” at HEIP from 1901 to 1911; and Victor Basch, Co-founder of the Human Rights League, Professor of “Political and Artistic Theories” at HEIP from
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