NEW DELHI, INDIA – The Dean of the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Liberia, Associate Prof. Dr. Josephus Gbala-hinnih M. Gray, on behalf of the A.C. S. College has presented “Most Distinguished Honor” to Dr. Ashok Daryani, President of International Relations, Sharda University and Group of Companies and extolled the role of Sharda University in enhancing student resilience and learning outcomes. The Distinguished Honor is the highest award the College’s bestowed upon any academic achiever who work distinguished from others. According to a press release issued from India, the unique ceremony held at the President’s Office on the 4th Floor of the Sharda University in Knowledge Park, Greater Noida, New Delhi, India was attended by UL sponsored faculty members and staffs from the ACS College, self-sponsored Liberian students, Grand Kru Technical College sponsored faculty members and dignitaries and officials of Sharda University.
Concomitantly, the ceremony was held the same day the ACS College’s Dean, Prof. Gray addressed major lecture forum organized by Sharda University School of Humanities and Social Sciences on the theme: “Constitution after 75 Years of Independence: Liberia-India’s Relationship. Dr. Gray is currently in India on a two-month Visiting Professorship at Sharda University.
Dr. Daryani was among distinguished personalities, chairperson, esteemed faculty members, students and staffs honored by the ACS College on 25 September 2024 during the College’s Annual Academic Excellence Recognition and Honoring Program held at the Executive Lounge in Fendall, Montserrado County.
The Former First Lady of the Republic of Liberia, Mrs. Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer, widow of the Former Interim President of Liberia, Dr. Amos C. Sawyer presented the honor to Dr. Daryani in absentia since he could not travel to Monrovia due to schedule arrangement, instead, he request that honor on his behalf receive the honor for onward presentation to him in India.
The honor recognizes Dr. Daryani’s exceptional outstanding service of marked international significance, particularly his outstanding services and commitment towards the development and growth of the University of Liberia, quality education for Liberian Students studying at Sharda University. It further recognizes Dr. Daryani numerous supports towards human development of international significance.
Presenting the top-notch honor to Dr. Daryani, the ACS College’s Dean, Dr. Gray said: “We’re incredibly grateful for your exceptional outstanding service of marked international significance and consistent dedication to excellence sets a shining example for everyone.” Prof. Gray continued: “You have been very helpful in guiding Liberian students to study at Sharda University to acquire the higher education in several fields of studies; your willingness to go above and beyond to add values to the MoU between UL and Sharda University has not gone unnoticed, we are truly grateful.”
Currently, more than 150 Liberian students are attending at the Sharda University in New Delhi, India. 15 of the 150 students are UL sponsored students from the ACS College, Business College, Agriculture College, Engineering College and Science College, respectively. The school enrolled the highest number of foreign students in India with students representing 96 countries across the world.
The fruitful academic ties between UL and Sharda University provide unique and life touching opportunity which guarantee attractive and concrete academic and medical benefits including visiting professorship, semester students exchange, exchange of faculty and staffs, publication of joint research and establishment of centers of excellence in various fields.
Meanwhile, my candid thoughts regarding my visiting professorship at Sharda University thw true reality of the school.
“I cannot express how grateful I’m for the unwavering trust and opportunity given me by the Acting President of the University of Liberia, Prof. Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh to honor an invitation from Sharda University in New Delhi, India to serve as Visiting Professor for two months.” I’ m truly grateful and thank you Dr. Conteh for believing in me to fulfill the mission entrusted to me, says Associate Professor Dr. Josephus M. Gray, Dean of the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia and Acting President of the Grand Kru Technical College.
“After attending my fourth class on Tuesday, 5th November 2024, I have learned and experienced many new things in such a short period of time that are endless.” Furthermore, “I felt at abode at the distinguished Sharda University where I have got a lot of students in the Master’s studies program from different backgrounds, outside of India.”
In spite of my unique association with the institution and countless visits on the school’s world class campuses in Knowledge Park, Greater Norda, I realized that I could not fully understand the academic quality was like until I experienced it by myself.
My first day on the campus as a visiting professor was full of friendly faces offering help, advice, and greeted me with open arms at the Department of Political Science, School of Humanities and Sciences, Sharda University. Foremost, the Dean of Sharda University School of Humanities and Sciences wanted to know what course I wanted to teach based on my expertise and qualification. I consider this chapter of my life as one of the most productive chapters for gaining more understanding and skills in teaching at the graduate level of an international university.
It’s a very cool moment since I have prepared for it. So excited that I have already outlined my lectures for the two months, ordered my textbooks online and was given ideas for midterm exam questions, This is a unique experience and hope that UL in the future would be well considered offering other professional colleagues from other colleges at UL similar opportunity to undertake such experience in India. Hoping that UL will also reciprocate similar offer for professors from Sharda University to join the faculty at the University of Liberia for a month or academic semester.
At Sharda University, the quality of teaching is based on high standard, style, basic behavior, communication skills and interaction with the students. Besides, professor’s role goes beyond the classroom, but highly considered research, without peer reviewed publication, no faculty gets promoted. Importantly, no faculty is allowed in class to teach without sharing the course lessons and materials with the Chairpersons of departments for review, scrutiny and approval.
Being at Sharda University is amazing experience and touching, mainly spending so much time with meeting one-on-one with students to guide them in pursue of their educational goal. The art of tolerance and patience make one closer with one another at the institution.
I have found the administrators, professors, faculty, staffs and students to be warm, friendly and hospitable. They are people with a great sense of humor and treat guests with admiration; it is also interesting to experience the diversity of culture, environment, and Indian meals.
On the other hand, the most surprising experience was to see the students always seated in class before my arrival for class. The students are required to register 75 percent of class attendance before they can be allowed to write their final examinations while exams papers are graded by professors outside Sharda University. All exams, whether Mid-term or Final Exams must be Essay based questions administered for two-three hours.
I’m offered Political Science MOP 177 (International Relations) course about the Geopolitics of Energy in the two-year master’s studies program; it is a four credit-hour course and taught on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, respectfully. The combined sections enrollment of 75 students from 17 different countries with age range 17-22. Interestingly, students attending at Sharda University are from 96 countries with female’s enrollment about 60% of the total enrollment of the university.
The section offered on Tuesdays runs from 10:25am-11:25am in room D1-BS7, while Thursdays section runs from 8:35am-09:35 in room D1-BS7. The two sections scheduled on Fridays run from 8:35am-09:35am in room F13-BS7 and 09:30am-10:30am room D1-BS7 in Block 7, Sharda University School of Humanities and Social Sciences, respectively.
All course materials must meet the university’s standard under the Indian Government set guidelines for teaching at any university and college across the country. The course contents and materials must be approved by heads of departments before being used in class. Each classroom contains CCTV cameras used by the various chairpersons or heads of departments to monitor teaching and learning. The entire campus of the school is under 24 hours security monitoring with more than 2,500 security cameras.
The final examinations are prepared by the Office of Exams, not instructor who taught the course for the semester.
