Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone and Chief Executive Officer of the Union Trust Bank, Dr James Sanpha Koroma, on Thursday 30th November 2023, officially launched the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU) and the fourth Solade Adams Public Lecture Series at the Great Hall of the Goderich Campus in Freetown, on the theme: “Institutional Reform and Change Management at the Milton Margai Technical University: Challenges and Prospects.’
The Guest Lecturer and Special Adviser on Local Government at State House, Dr Emmanuel Giama, delivered the lecture on the fourth Solade Adams Public Lectures. Mr Adams was the first African and Sierra Leonean Principal of the MMTU, who was described as dynamic.
According to Dr Emmanuel Gaima, education in the past and now are two different trajectories, and expressed gratitude for being honoured and privileged to be selected as the Guest Lecturer. He enlightened that institutional reforms involve actions, and he believes in human capital development, of which education is the passport of the future, especially education that serves society, and pointed out that the older universities have not been able to maintain public lectures.
The Guest Lecturer went on to commend the MMTU for immortalizing Solade Adams, furthering that the discussion must be taken to the wider Sierra Leone community, adding that education is now an industry. He revealed that the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, and the Tertiary Education Commission had all evaluated MMTU before it was approved to become a Technical University, as they provided the framework, policy and standards for the MMTU to be certified. He maintained that the structures, including the University Court, were established, and that this change must take into consideration the academic, administration and students, as well as the three campuses of the MMTU and various other stakeholders.
He furthered that some people thought that the change from MMTU to a Technical University was an illusion, but affirmed that the MMTU has all the advantages like infrastructure, staff and students for a Technical University status, stressing that the President is no longer head of the university. He furthered that organizations must be regulated to meet the current trend, and enquired into the preparedness of people/organizations to change, adding that some are afraid of change. He informed the gathering that the government has established specialized public universities.
Dr. Emmanuel Gaima also articulated quality management, and political commitment, stressing that there is great demand for financial accountability and that there are moments of frustrations and disappointments during change. He noted that the change at MMTU has prospects, as students can now be awarded degrees in technical/vocational education, and that the MMTU now admits science students, also that lecturers’ salaries have been harmonized. He appealed to the administration to form partnerships with similar institutions at home and abroad.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of MMTU, Prof. Philip John Kanu, described the day as momentous, and that the public lecture series was designed for prominent people to deal with pertinent topics and that the MMTU’s 60th-anniversary celebrations would be held from now to the end of December this year, with a series of activities.
The Chancellor of MMTU, Dr Victor Kabia, revealed that Mr Solade Adams inspired many people and had always made efforts to improve the academic performance of students, underscoring that MMTU is a Technical University yearning for students who would transform the world, expressing that the MMTU is grateful to the government for the support and that they are exploring other sources of income to help government’s financial support, disclosing that they would launch an Endowment Fund next week, citing Oxford and Harvard Universities that operate such programs and are 80% managed by Endowment Funds. He also urged students to manipulate the environment to make the world a better place.
Officially launching the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, the Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, Dr. James SanphaKoroma, observed that intellectualism is from the head and that Sierra Leone is lucky to have a very good educational system that has been maintained, and congratulated staff and students of MMTU, recalling that his wife lectured for decades and was head of the Education Department at the MMTU. He assured that he would continue to make himself available to the MMTU.
He revealed that he hails from a very poor and humble background, and admonished that whatever one does must be done wholeheartedly, and that one must fight for him/herself, and be determined. He noted that he never thought he would be appointed Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone and Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, and encouraged people not to underestimate themselves, adding that he is proud of MMTU and urged all to build their integrity and respectability.
He also underscored that what matters in life is what one does outside the university, stressing that one must not disappoint him/herself, but should help others. He then admonished them to go out and do their best and wished all a successful tenure in life.
Highlights of the event were pledges in support of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, fraternal greetings from the Alumni Association, and a question and answer session, while the vote of thanks was rendered by the Students’ Union President.
