Monrovia, Liberia (September 2, 2026) — The University of Liberia with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is developing the world’s first sustainable small-scale fisheries curriculum for the Department of Fishery and Aquaculture Sciences (DoFAS) at the university.
FAO is providing $45,000 through a technical cooperation project (TCP) pilot grant, with possibilitird that a successful use of the initial funding could attract additional funding support.
On Tuesday, September 2, University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan and FAO officials discussed the details of the curriculum’s establishment and support during a meeting in Monrovia.
At the meeting were Dr. Ibrahim G. Ahmed, Country Team Lead of Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases, Musa Sanoe, Assistant FAO Representative and National M&E Specialist, Mr. Chelleh B. M. Mitchell, National Fisheries Coordinater & FAO Technical Expert, and Dr. Alvin Jueseah, chair of DoFAS, University of Liberia.
The groundbreaking project for the establishment of the curriculum, including needs assessment is expected to complete within one year. The curriculum will include a bachelor program and a certificate/diploma option, allowing fishers to obtain practical training without completing a four-year degree.
Duke University, Stanford University, UC Santa Cruz, and Conservation International are collaborating on the initiative.
The initiative will support Liberia’s small-scale fisheries sector and broader sustainable fisheries efforts. FAO urged UL to locate and publicize its earlier sea effort curriculum harvesting study report that Was done two years ago.
The institution also urged UL to set up a dedicated bank account similar to those of UNDP & UN Women’s project accounts.
Dr. Maparyan said it is a distinct honor for the University of Liberia to be on the forefront of knowledge in an area of such importance to both national development and global sustainability.
“This latest grant is the culmination of years of work and international networking by Dr. Jueseah and his colleagues in DoFAS,” she said.
On behalf of the University, Dr. Maparyan expressed extreme appreciation to FAO for supporting this groundbreaking project as well as several other initiatives at UL.
DoFAS chairperson Dr. Alvin Jueseah said to the best of his knowledge, this will be the first modular undergraduate curriculum specifically designed for small-scale fisheries (SSF).
“It will allow students to pursue a BSc specialization in SSF, while individual modules can support certificate and diploma programs for fisheries practitioners,” he said.
He added that this flexible approach will strengthen professional skills, support private-sector development, and advance Liberia’s national development priorities.
Jueseah disclosed that students enrolled in DoFAS’s four-year BSc program will be able to specialize in SSF, noting that the certificate and diploma programs will provide fishers and other fisheries practitioners in Liberia and the subregion with practical opportunities to upgrade their skills and improve their livelihoods.
Concerning the FAO US$45,000 support, Jueseah explained that it will support the conduct of a curriculum needs assessment and gap analysis, develop an SSF curriculum, modules, and syllabi based on the SSF Guidelines and Illuminating Hidden Harvests findings, validate, approve, and institutionalize the modular curriculum, and deliver training of trainers to strengthen the capacity of DoFAS faculty to teach the curriculum.
“International partners—including Duke University, Stanford University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, Conservation International, and FAO headquarters in Rome—will provide technical guidance throughout the project,” he said.
In the long term, Dr. Jueseah said the program will develop skilled fisheries professionals and strengthen the capacity of people already working in the sector. It will prepare them to understand and address the complex environmental, social, economic, and governance challenges affecting small-scale fisheries in Liberia and the wider subregion.