Cuttington University and the Governance Commission (GC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening the professional and academic capacity of Commission employees through advanced training in Liberia.
The agreement was signed by Cuttington University President Dr. Romelle A. Horton and Governance Commission Executive Director Jallah C. Kesselly, with officials and staff of both institutions witnessing the ceremony.
The two institutions described the partnership as an important step toward strengthening human capital development and promoting collaboration between Liberia's public institutions and higher education sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Horton said the agreement reflects Cuttington's commitment to developing Liberian professionals through quality education and advanced training.
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"I'm taking and developing Liberia, and this initiative is definitely a capacity development for our nation," Horton said. "So I'm very excited that we are going to be signing an MOU with the Governance Commission to capacitate their employees."
She commended the Commission's leadership for pursuing the partnership and said Cuttington was prepared to provide the academic support necessary to strengthen the skills and professional capacity of GC employees.
For his part, Kesselly said the partnership reflects the Governance Commission's decision to explore quality educational opportunities available within Liberia instead of relying primarily on foreign scholarships for staff development.
"When we decided to look internally, in most cases when people thought about capacity building, the thought was to get foreign scholarships," Kesselly said.
"At the Governance Commission, we believe that we have a responsibility to also showcase and highlight what qualities we have internally. And Cuttington University certainly is one of those institutions that we hold in such high esteem."
Kesselly said collaboration with higher education institutions is particularly important to the Commission because research forms a central part of its mandate.
"The Governance Commission, the government's leading think tank institution, so it's only right that we partner with colleges and universities because part of our primary mandate centers around research," he said.
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He said the partnership could strengthen the Commission's research and policy capabilities while providing employees with opportunities to pursue further academic and professional development.
Kesselly also noted his family's longstanding ties to Cuttington University, saying his uncle, Victor Kesselly, and brother, Binya Kesselly, attended the institution.
Dr. Horton described the agreement as an example of public-private collaboration and said investment in the professional development of public servants is important to strengthening governance.
"The work that the fine folks at the Governance Commission do, it cuts across. Governance is every agency's responsibility, every ministry's responsibility," Horton said.
She said the willingness of GC employees to pursue further education demonstrates the importance the institution places on strengthening its workforce.
"Cuttington is honored to be in this partnership, and you better be sure we'll do the best we can from the graduate school and our university to make sure we offer the best to your team," she added.
The signing formally establishes cooperation between the two institutions on staff capacity development, with both sides expressing optimism that the partnership will contribute to stronger research, professional development and public-sector performance.
