GRAND GEDEH UNIVERSITY SIGNS HISTORIC INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S.-BASED HBCU WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY IN LANDMARK AGREEMENT LINKING LIBERIA AND AMERICA IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND GLOBAL EXCHANGE

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GRAND GEDEH UNIVERSITY SIGNS HISTORIC INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S.-BASED HBCU WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY IN LANDMARK AGREEMENT LINKING LIBERIA AND AMERICA IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND GLOBAL EXCHANGE

BY: Rufus Divine Brooks Jr.

INSTITUTE, West Virginia – In a major delivery on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s challenge to the Liberian diaspora to move From Dialogue to Delivery,” Grand Gedeh University (GGU) and West Virginia State University (WVSU) have signed a historic international partnership agreement.

The landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was formally signed on September 29, 2026, in Institute, West Virginia, just days after the 2026 Liberia Diaspora Annual Conference held under the theme “From Dialogue to Delivery: Diaspora Capital, Innovation, and the Next Liberia.”

The agreement establishes a comprehensive academic bridge between Liberia and one of America’s historic 1890 land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

At the forefront of the historic signing were Dr. Eric Z. M. Gbotoe, President of Grand Gedeh University, and Mr. Kuly Teddy Kimba-Doe, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Samuel K. Doe Legacy Foundation (SKDLF), who also serves as Director of International Partnership & Diaspora Engagement for Grand Gedeh University.

According to the release, the partnership originated from a vision advanced by Mr. Kimba-Doe, who identified the opportunity to build an institutional bridge between the two universities and served as the initiative’s principal focal point.

Working closely with President Gbotoe and the leadership of both institutions, he facilitated the engagement that culminated in the historic agreement.

President Gbotoe’s leadership and institutional support were instrumental in transforming that vision into an official partnership on behalf of Grand Gedeh University.

The initiative also received strong backing from Liberia’s Minister of Education, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, who expressed excitement about the partnership.

Although she had hoped to attend the signing ceremony, she was unable to do so due to scheduling obligations surrounding the United Nations General Assembly, but reaffirmed her commitment to remain engaged as the partnership moves forward.

The newly signed MOU creates a framework for far-reaching collaboration, including student and faculty exchanges, agriculture and agricultural research, demonstration farms, collaborative research and innovation, professional development, institutional capacity building, study-abroad programs, community development, and academic and cultural exchange.

The potential impact extends beyond international travel, creating a pathway for knowledge, research, technology, and expertise to flow between the two institutions.

Agricultural collaboration will link research to real-world challenges facing Liberian communities, while faculty exchanges will strengthen instruction and institutional capacity.

“The objective is not simply to send Liberian students abroad. It is to build a pipeline through which knowledge and opportunity can return home,” Mr. Kimba-Doe said.

For President Gbotoe, the agreement represents another major step in Grand Gedeh University’s development and its emergence within the international academic community.

Following the signing, Mr. Kimba-Doe reflected: “Today, we did not simply sign an MOU.

We expanded what a Liberian student should be able to imagine for his or her future.

This is about connecting our institutions to opportunities, knowledge and relationships that can ultimately come home and strengthen Liberia.”

He added: “A successful MOU cannot simply live in a frame on a wall. It must eventually live in scholarships, laboratories, farms, classrooms, research projects, faculty exchanges and opportunities that students can actually touch.

The signing was historic. What we build from it will determine its legacy.”

The partnership also carries a broader national significance, demonstrating that international partnerships, research opportunities, and global academic networks do not have to remain concentrated in Monrovia.

It proves that talent exists everywhere and opportunity must learn how to reach it.

With the MOU formally signed, both universities will now turn their attention to implementation, with specific programs, funding structures, and implementation mechanisms to be developed as the partnership progresses.

Grand Gedeh University is a public institution of higher learning located in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, Liberia.

The institution is committed to expanding access to higher education and advancing research and service to communities in southeastern Liberia and beyond.

Founded in 1891, West Virginia State University is a public HBCU and an 1890 land-grant institution located in Institute, West Virginia.

WVSU advances education, research, extension and public service through undergraduate, graduate and community-focused programs.

The Samuel K. Doe Legacy Foundation is a nonprofit-focused legacy and development organization led by Founder and CEO Kuly Teddy Kimba-Doe.

Its work centers on education, healthcare, and sports and recreation.