Monrovia, Liberia – August 6, 2025 –In a move to strengthen collaboration between academic and environmental institutions, the President of the University of Liberia (UL), Dr. Layli Maparyan, on Tuesday visited the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia’s headquarters in Mamba Point, Monrovia. Her visit included a tour of the EPA’s newly dedicated, state-of-the-art environmental laboratory, a milestone investment in science, research, and national development.

The modern facility, which was officially dedicated on July 23, 2025 by Liberia’s Vice President Hon. Jeremiah Kpan Koung, has already been hailed as one of the most advanced public environmental laboratories in Liberia. The construction of the lab is part of EPA’s broader efforts to enhance scientific capacity in addressing pollution, climate change, marine conservation, and environmental compliance and cost hundred thousand united state dollars.

Welcoming Dr. Maparyan, EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo praised the growing collaboration between the EPA and the University of Liberia and used the occasion to call attention to Liberia’s lack of capacity in the field of marine science.

“Liberia is a marine country. Our ocean territory is vast and full of potential, yet we are critically undercapacitated in marine science,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said. “To find students pursuing this field in Liberia is difficult, and that’s something we must change.”

He stressed that the lab was not built only for the EPA but as a national resource for institutions, researchers, and students to explore and innovate. The facility will provide services such as air and water quality testing, soil analysis, hazardous material detection, and future marine ecosystem research.

Dr. Yarkpawolo also revealed that the EPA is working closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) laboratory in Monaco, which has committed to supporting the lab through the donation of equipment and advanced training.

“This partnership with the IAEA will help us build a true center of excellence right here in Liberia. Our students, researchers, and environmental professionals deserve access to world-class resources,” he said.

Also, the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia with support from its partner NOVASPHERE, an NGO supported by the Canadian government’s Climate Support Program, already have a functional Climate Change Laboratory at the University of Liberia.

Dr. Layli Maparyan, after touring the lab, expressed her admiration for the progress made at the EPA and emphasized the need to expose Liberian students to real career pathways early in their academic journey.

“We are about to welcome a new class of freshmen at the University of Liberia. And it’s not just about coming to school, it’s about understanding the trajectory of a career,” she said. “I want students to walk in with purpose, and part of that requires exposure to institutions like the EPA.”

Dr. Maparyan said that the university is working to build the capacity of some faculty members abroad for training in environmental and marine science so they can return and help strengthen the academic programs in these areas.

“This facility can be a spark,” she noted. “I see opportunities for our students to intern, for our professors to collaborate, and for our research to go beyond the classroom.”

The new EPA laboratory is now among the best-equipped in the country and is capable of handling complex environmental testing in water quality, soil contamination, air pollutants, and potentially marine biodiversity.

Both the EPA and UL leadership committed to developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a formal partnership. This would cover student internships, joint research, curriculum enhancement, and faculty training exchanges.