LIBERIA – President of the Republic of Liberia and Visitor of the University of Liberia, His Excellency Dr. George Mannah Weah through the Dr. Amos C. Sawyer Foundation has donated 12 new high-tech sophisticated laptops to the Prof. Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities (formerly Liberia College) to be used by the various academic departments and Units for research purposes and quality teaching.
While the Amos C. Sawyer Foundation and the Sawyer family have disclosed that they are impressed with the progress made at the Amos Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, particularly on the establishment of new departments and expansion of its teaching programs.
They also expressed gratitude for the Faculty Lounge named in honor of Mrs. Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer, widow of Prof. Amos C. Sawyer and alumna of the College. She is a distinguished and illustrious Liberian mother of acclaimed backgrounds and notable achievements. Mrs. Sawyer is the Chairperson of the Board of the Sawyer Foundation.
Dr. Sawyer- a statesman, distinguished professor, political scientist, and administrator has strongly contributed to quality learning and teaching at the College, helped to mold and shape the minds of Liberian youths, and attached importance to good governance.
Mrs. Sawyer, Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs earned a BA degree in Sociology in 1977 from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, once Liberia College, and an MA degree in International Relations and MA in Social Works from abroad. It has been immensely stated and confirmed, that both- Dr. Sawyer and Mrs. Sawyer met at Liberia College in the ‘70s and kept their God’s blessed union until the recent unfortunate death of the former President and Professor of Political Science Dr. Sawyer.
The presentation of the 12 new laptops ceremony took place on Monday, November 28, 2022, at the Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer Faculty Lounge, UL Fendall Campus in Louisiana, Montserrado County.
It can be recalled that during the 2019-2020 Convocation and Commencement Program, President Weah praised Prof. Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities for producing the highest graduates of females in the country. The Dean of the College is Associate Professor Dr. Josephus M. Gray.
The laptops were presented to the authorities of the University of Liberia on behalf of Mrs. Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer by a notable member of the Sawyer Foundation, Dr. Ibrahim Al-bakri Nyei at a ceremony marking the donation of laptop computers.
Dr. Nyei presented the laptops to Mrs. Benetta Joko Tarr, Vice President for Administration who proxy for the president of the University of Liberia, Prof. Dr. Julius J. Sarwolo Nelson, Jr. The UL president is a unique team player, truly a humanist, and a well-balanced-minded independently-driven administrator. Upon receiving the laptops, Mrs. Tarr presented them to the Dean of the College, Dr. Gray who then presented the high-tech computers to the leadership of the Sawyer College.
In brief remarks, Dr. Josephus M. Gray said he was deeply honored and elated to join distinguished chairpersons, professors, instructors, and staff of the College to receive the 12 new high-tech sophisticated laptops which he described as necessary tools to impact research at the Sawyer College. He also praised President Weah for the donation and said the College will always remind grateful to the President of Liberia for support towards human sophistication and technological advancement, quality teaching and learning, and higher education particularly the University of Liberia.
He used the occasion to laud the Sawyer Foundation and the widow of Prof. Amos C. Sawyer and the alumna of the College, Mrs. Sawyer for the numerous support to the college. It can be recalled that the Sawyer Foundation early this year donated stationeries and door signs to the college, and promised the construct a building to host the College.
Dr. Gray on behalf of the leadership of the College expressed gratitude to the administration of the institution, particularly the President of the University, Prof. Dr. Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson for embracing the idea of establishing the faculty lounge at the College and naming the facility in honor of Mrs. Thelma Sawyer.
“We are confident that under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Nelson, the University of Liberia will continue to inspire social scientists and scholars for many generations”, Dr. Gray noted.
According to Prof. Gray, the honor is a reminder that everyone will be remembered somehow in a positive way, and hope it reminds all faculty members of the significance of the faculty lounge to the College, while also it will enhance the academic activities of the hardworking faculty.
In her words of appreciation to President Weah and the Sawyer Foundation, Mrs. Tarr on behalf of the president, faculty, staff, and students of the university conveyed high sentiment and appreciation to President Weah for the donation of Laptops to Sawyer College through the Sawyer Foundation. She recounted President Weah’s continued support towards the university and said the UL will continue to impact quality education.
Speaking on behalf of the ACS Foundation, Dr. Ibrahim Nyei said the ACS Foundation has been established to continue the work of Prof Amos Sawyer in advancing education and democratic governance in Liberia and across Africa.
According to him, Mrs. Thelma E. Duncan-Sawyer, the Chairperson of the Board of the foundation, sends her greetings and best wishes to the leadership and members of the faculty of the University of Liberia. He told the gathering that Mrs. Sawyer was unable to attend the ceremony due to other pressing national engagements at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Nyei disclosed that the Amos C. Sawyer Foundation and the Sawyer family are impressed with the progress made at the Amos Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, particularly on the establishment of new departments and expansion of its teaching programs.
We have only come to contribute to your effort at expansion, and to support your research and teaching agenda. You will recall that in June the Foundation donated boxes of assorted stationeries to the Sawyer College.
Today we have come to donate 12 pieces of laptop computers to support your research and teaching agenda and added: We recognize that as you expand your programs, you will need ICT equipment to be more efficient and productive. The Foundation will continue to support the College moving forward, and these laptops are our initial contributions meant to strengthen your ICT capabilities for teaching and research.
We would like to thank His Excellency President George Manneh Weah who donated these laptops to the Foundation. President Weah has been supportive of the foundation and other initiatives intended to continue the work of Prof Sawyer.
Madam Vice President for Academic Affairs, Benetta Tarr, Professor Gray, Dean of the Sawyer College, and members of the faculty, I would like to thank you, on behalf of Mrs. Thelma Duncan Sawyer and members of the Board of the ACS Foundation, for always welcoming us, and for your deep interest in the foundation’s programs at the University of Liberia. “We hope to continue working together more productively, as we all strive to promote the values of academic excellence, intellectual freedom, and democracy espoused by Professor Amos Claudius Sawyer”.
According to him, Professor Amos Claudius Sawyer spent his life in a quest for knowledge and truth for the advancement of society, adding that he spent many years at this university as a lecturer and Dean of Liberia College, the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Dr. Nyei added: The Sawyer family and the foundation are gratified and proud that the University of Liberia recognized his contributions and chose to name Liberia College in his honor. There cannot be any greater tribute to a man who committed his talents and career to scholarship, and years of service to this very college.
He pinpointed that Prof Sawyer believed in academic excellence, and the production and contestation of knowledge, and worked to create environments where scholars thrive, contest ideas, and promote the betterment of humankind. He encouraged us to challenge conventional wisdom and probe more into things for nuances that reveal alternative understanding and truth, Dr. Nyei noted.
He used the ceremony to encourage the University of Liberia to continue to provide a free and thriving environment for academic excellence, knowledge production, and contestation. However, we think that this cannot be possible without the resources that facilitate research and teaching.
