By Hassan J. Koroma
Njala University has convened its first MIT J-Wel Seminar, three months after it was admitted into the prestigious MIT J-Well Fellows Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Representatives from sister institutions in the higher education sector, among them the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, Milton Margai College of Education and Technology and Eastern Polytechnic, participated in the day-long event that also attracted the head of the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation and Chief Innovation Officer, Dr David Moinina Senge.
Also in attendance were representatives from the University of Sierra Leone, University of Makeni and the Freetown Teachers College, as well as members of the academic and administrative staff and students of the host university.
Presenting on the topic: MIT J-WEL WEEK, the Head of Department, Physics and Computer Science at Njala University, Dr Maurice Sesay, explained the rationale behind the seminar, noting that it’s part of implementation of the affiliation agreement between Njala and MIT, which provides for the former to harness resources available at the latter to leverage its learning process.
MIT, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, is a leader in applied science and engineering instructions.
J-WEL, which stands for Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab, is an initiative of MIT which works with member organizations of the Institute to promote excellence and transformation in education. It engages educators, technologists, policymakers, societal leaders, employers, and employees through online and in-person collaborations, workshops, research, and information-sharing events. J-WEL member organizations work with MIT faculty and staff to address global opportunities for scalable change in education.
In March 2019, MIT accepted Njala University’s application for an affiliation which provided the Sierra Leonean institution a place in the J-WEL program. The program offers Njala students and academic staff the opportunity to benefit from high tech education from masters to PhD level, according to a statement released by the university at the time.
The acceptance note of Njala’s affiliation with MIT was officially accepted by President Julius Maada Bio during his visit to the US in April.
Dr Maurice Sesay in April became the first beneficiary of the affiliation when he was nominated to represent Njala University in the 4th MIT J-WEL WEEK in USA, which was convened between April 1 and 4. According to Sesay, the seminar provided him first hand access to MIT educational resources and practice.
“My first visit to MIT has connected me with some of the world leaders in higher education,” he said.
Vice Chancellor and Principal, Njala University, Professor Abdullah Mansaray, hailed the affiliation with MIT, noting that it offered them access to the vast intellectual resources at Harvard and MIT. He said it also offered them the opportunity to gain “tremendously” from the continuous interaction with the DSTI.
Prof. Mansaray was appointed Vice Chancellor of Njala in June 2018, as part of a mass shakeup in the administrations of tertiary institutions nationwide.
Mansaray recalled a statement by President Julius Maada Bio during the university’s graduation ceremony in April urging them to conform to the changing dynamics of modern technology and innovation.
“Our graduates should go out with the required skills and competencies and knowledge that will make them employable and for them to compete favourably in a globalized world where new skills and new competencies are needed to innovate; we must design and restructure the entire higher education sector,'' he stressed,
Prof. Edwin J.J. Momoh, Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, said being part of the first MIT J-WEL Affiliation Seminar opened more opportunities and platforms for them to interface and interact with colleagues from both government and sister institutions.
In a keynote address, Chief Innovation Officer Dr. David Monina Senge said the DSTI is determined to collaborate with all relevant institutions, both government and private, as per the dream of President Bio, which is to harness science and technology to push for national development. He said their goal is to support existing structures and institutions to compete globally and strive to be the best in the sub-region.
Dr Senge was a major player in the affiliation between Njala and MIT, as a distinguished fellow of the US institution himself. He said it is incumbent on the Directorate to engage an institution like Njala University which has a Computer Science Department which does a lot of computation and coding.
He then urged his audience to ensure that the curriculum in degree granting universities and technical institutions teach state of the art technologies to support their faculties to get access to materials and to ensure that students are learning the essentials that will enable them to contribute to society.
Dr Senge went on to say that NU's engagement with MIT through the J-WEL initiative affords them the unique opportunity to peer learn with other partner institutions across the world, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Chile and Nigeria.
He also urged the Njala University administration to share the opportunities with sister institutions in the country.
“Just because NU is a MIT J-WEL affiliate does not mean other institutions should not benefit essentially,'' he said.
The event also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the DSTI and Njala University. The former also presented a 3D printer and its accessories to the University Administration a donation.
© 2019 Politico Online
