Ahead of their scheduled departure for Freetown, a delegation from Bath Spa University has paid a courtesy call on Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh.
The delegation, led by Prof. John Strachan, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research & Enterprise, and including Dr. Lisette Johnston, Academic Director, and Dr. Sheku Ahmed Fofanah, Academic Lead for Research & Knowledge Exchange, engaged in in-depth and constructive discussions with the High Commissioner. These conversations focused on identifying shared priorities, addressing challenges, and exploring innovative approaches to strengthen academic and research partnerships between Bath Spa University and higher education institutions in Sierra Leone.
Dr. Manyeh, himself an experienced educator who served as a university lecturer for many years, brought valuable insights to the dialogue. He underscored the critical role of education in national development and regional cooperation, welcoming Bath Spa University’s initiative to engage with the Government of Sierra Leone and its higher education institutions.
The team will be engaging with key stakeholders in Sierra Leone to explore opportunities for collaboration in research, innovation, and capacity building.
Sierra Leone, once hailed as the Athens of West Africa for its historic educational milestones, has recently witnessed a tremendous boost in its education sector under the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio. Through a series of transformative reforms and incentives under the Free Quality Education (FQE) programme, the government has, in addition to shouldering fees, provided free school buses, distributed free core texts, and increased salaries for teachers. President Bio’s administration continues to implement serious measures that reaffirm the country’s commitment to restoring its legacy as a center of academic excellence, and expanding opportunity.
Abdulai Braima
Information Attaché
SLHC- London