Ambassador McCarthy Visits University of Liberia, Presents Forestry Book Donation

The United States to Liberia, Michael McCarthy on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 met with University of Liberia (UL) President Dr. Julius Sarwolo Nelson, Jr. on the Capitol Hill campus.  They discussed the long-standing relationship UL has with the U.S. Embassy as well as UL partnerships with a number of U.S. universities and colleges.

The U.S. Embassy Monrovia regularly facilitates opportunities for young Liberian leaders, including UL students, to connect with their American counterparts and gain exposure to U.S. higher education.   These virtual and in-person exchanges include the Mandela Washington Fellowship, which brings young leaders from sub-Saharan African countries to the United States each year for academic coursework and leadership training.  This year, through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, the Embassy is supporting a joint project by students from the University of Liberia and the University of Virginia who are together options for the preservation and reuse of Providence Island.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is also a longtime supporter of UL.  Through partnerships, grants, and expertise-sharing, USAID has supported a plan to establish a Development Studies program at UL, expanded access to and improved the quality of UL’s engineering curriculum, renovated the Fendell Campus Engineering College, and significantly increased UL’s health science library.

During this visit, Ambassador McCarthy presented a collection of forestry books donated by Yale University professor emeritus Dr. Chad Oliver.  With the help of USAID and the U.S. Forest Service, the donation of approximately 450 books will substantially expand the forestry book collection at UL.  Dr. Oliver retired last July.  You can read about him here:  https://yff.yale.edu/news/retirement-chad-oliver-mfs-phd.  The books will aid the William R. Tolbert, Jr. College of Agriculture and Forestry, which prepares students to manage and conserve Liberia’s forest resources.

Text Credit: U.S. Embassy Liberia