MTHE Conducts Orientation Ceremony for Newly Installed Chancellors
13th January, 2022
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) has conducted an orientation ceremony for all newly installed Chancellors of public universities in Sierra Leone. The ceremony was held at the Great Hall of Milton Margai Technical University's Goderich Campus.
According to MTHE's Deputy Minister, Mr. Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, the purpose of the meeting was to dialogue in a bid to ensure that Chancellors are fully familiarized with the Universities Act of 2021 so as to understand their core functions that will enable them to collectively champion the course of higher education in Sierra Leone. He entreated the Chancellors to collaborate in consolidating the building blocks. He referred to the meeting as an initial phase, which would create room for further engagements. "We want to raise the bar, whereby the universities become the front for sustainable development...," he said.
MTHE's Minister, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie, mentioned that the Chancellor shall be the Chairperson of the University Court, further noting that the Court is the highest Administrative Authority of the University. He said that the Chancellors' role is to head all university ceremonial occasions, which includes conferment of degrees, diplomas and certificates, adding that it shall also manage and oversee university finances. "What we will like to see is some level of collaboration between the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor. We will like the Chancellors to take the lead in activating alumni associations. We will also like the Chancellors to support these institutions for them to have their core mandate clearly," he said. He admonished the Chancellors to use their experience and corporate exposure to work well with the Vice Chancellors to enhance progress within the higher education sector.
In his presentation, the Chairman of Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), Prof. Aliyagreen Alghali, outlined the functions of the Chancellors in the following accordance:
a) be the Head of all ceremonial occasions, including the convening and chairing of University convocations
b) be responsible to confer degrees, diplomas and certificates of the University
c) be the Chairman of the University Court, the Finance and General Purpose Committee, Colors and Emblems Committee, and the Conditions of Service Committee
MTHE's Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, Dr. Josephus Brimah, and Director of Higher Education, Mr. Emmanuel J. Momoh made a joint presentation on highlights of the Universities Act of 2021, which was followed by an open discussion relating to the orientation process.