Liberian president remarks on technology

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf addressed an audience of Tech students, faculty, diplomats and technical professionals this past Wednesday on the role information technology could play in her country's recovery from years of conflict and strife.

"If any field of endeavor has been touted as [having] the possibility of doing so much, it is the field of information and communication technology (ICT). I therefore wish to start a dialogue with [the Tech community] on how the knowledge, products, services and promise of ICT can advance and accelerate our national reconstruction process," Johnson-Sirleaf said.

"I'm delighted to acknowledge an emerging set of ICT collaborations between Tech and Liberia," Johnson-Sirleaf said.

Speaking to a full auditorium at the Global Learning Center (GLC), Johnson-Sirleaf recognized Tech's past contributions in the fields of ICT and development, specifically through the work of International Affairs Professor Michael Best and his research associates.

"Tech is one of the world's prominent science and technology universities and Atlanta, where you sit, is a city we have great fondness for. Above all, my country needs human and intellectual capacity to turn our dreams into reality. We ask Tech to work with us [to help achieve these dreams]," Johnson-Sirleaf said.

As Africa's first-ever female head-of-state and its first democratically elected leader since the end of the country's civil war, Johnson-Sirleaf brings much experience to Liberia's leadership through her past stints as the Director of the United Nations Development Program and as a former Liberian Minister of Finance.

Known popularly in her home region as the "Iron-Lady" for her firm stances on establishing good governance and the rule of law, Johnson-Sirleaf rode to power late last year in a popular democratic movement that sought to put an end to ten years of brutal civil war in Liberia which killed over 200,000.

Armed with a graduate degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and boosted by much popular goodwill, both in her country and internationally, she has spent much of this year trying to reconstruct the Liberian economy and lobbying the international community for developmental aid and expertise. Tech is the latest stop in an itinerary that followed other stops that include think tanks, development agencies and other universities.

In her speech, Johnson-Sirleaf outlined objectives within her reform agenda and detailed many new initiatives her administration aims to create to encourage foreign investment in the Liberian economy.

"We are establishing a steering committee to draft a national ICT policy; [a committee that will] identify the most beneficial implementations of ICTs," Johnson-Sirleaf said.

According to Johnson-Sirleaf, Tech's academic expertise in the multidisciplinary field of formulating technology policy could be a valuable contribution to realizing Liberia's aspirations.

"This visit demonstrates our interest and commitment to Africa and the country of Liberia. This visit underscores the mission of Tech's international plan and Tech's philosophy of engaging scholars in science and technology with policy issues and bridging the gap between cutting edge technology and international affairs," said Michael Best, assistant professor in the school of International Affairs.

Students expressed opinions on Johnson-Sirleaf's visit.

"Having the president of a country visit Tech makes you feel important. I definitely think it's useful to the student population. It gives a broad perspective of engineering technology outside the classroom in real-world issues that affect a lot of people," said Karan Chopra, a fifth-year Electrical Engineering major.