By Aaron Bundu Lahai
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President has given assurance to students, lecturers, administrators of the Eastern Polytechnic and the people of Kenema to upgrade the Polytechnic to a University. Dr. Jalloh informed the audience that very soon the Polytechnic will be upgraded to function as a “Technical University” in Sierra Leone. He assured that the Polytechnic will be upgraded at a promising time for a University education in Sierra Leone. Dr. Jalloh made the disclosure while serving as Guest Speaker in the 2020 Matriculation Ceremony of the Eastern Polytechnic in Kenema on Thursday 30th January, 2020.
Vice President Jalloh opined that the characteristics of the future university will be four campuses that will host faculties such as Education, Vocational and Skills Development, Health Sciences and Disaster Management, Engineering and Technology and Agriculture among others. He informed the gathering that the Government of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Higher Education are working on the process to build the gains made by the Polytechnic, in order to pursue the reality of upgrading to a University.
Dr. Jalloh expressed happiness with the progress made so far in the area of curriculum development for the transformation process. He hopes that the Polytechnic when transformed into a University will become a center of excellence that will produce graduates in various disciplines to support technical and vocational institutions, and produce the skills needed to boost the socio-economic development of the nation.
The Vice President described Kenema as the center of gravity for the New Direction, whilst Eastern Polytechnic is the machine for the center of gravity. He noted that the future University in Kenema will therefore serve as the machine for the center of gravity. He encouraged the people of Kenema to exercise patience in the transformation process in order to follow due process for the realization of the dream of upgrading the Polytechnic. Ten computers were donated by Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh for the use of the students.
