The President of the University of Liberia has unveiled three-pillar agenda to transform the state-run university, focusing on reducing students’ time to graduation, upgrading faculty qualifications, and modernizing campus infrastructure.
Speaking Thursday August 20,2026, at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, Dr. Layli Maparyan said the reforms are aligned with the Government of Liberia’s national development agenda, particularly in human capacity building. She said the administration’s first priority is to ensure students complete their degrees within the international benchmark of four to six years.
According to her, since the introduction of the regularized academic calendar last year, UL has conducted three regular semesters and one vacation school. “Our goal is for students to enter and exit on time,” she noted adding that predictable calendar is the foundation for academic excellence.
Meanwhile, on faculty development, the UL President disclosed that only approximately 19 percent of current faculty members hold PhDs or other terminal degrees. To address this gap she said, the university is expanding scholarships and international partnerships to support advanced studies.
She also highlighted that three Liberian faculty members recently received scholarships through the Government of India, three women will soon depart for the University of Botswana on scholarships, and another faculty member is currently studying at Duke University. “Increasing the number of PhD holders with special attention to women faculty is central to our drive for academic excellence and gender equality,” Dr. Maparyan said.
At the same time, Dr. Maparyan the university has launched a phased renovation and modernization program to address both urgent repairs and long-term expansion. According to her, the plan includes creating additional classroom space and undertaking major rehabilitation projects. She announced that the university is partnering with an international education group to redesign and modernize its science laboratories, with emphasis on facilities supporting STEM programs.
