By Danesius Marteh
The United Methodist University (UMU) has taken a bold move to prevent its degrees from being manipulated or forged.
Appearing on the Prime Morning Drive on Prime FM 105.5 on 12 June, acting UMU President Medina Wesseh said a Liberian cybersecurity firm was contracted to protect their degrees from being duplicated.
Cllr. Wesseh said the new degrees for the 21st commencement for 612 students, who graduated in March and moving forward, will have security features and QR code that make it extremely difficult to be forged.
She said the issuance will start on 15 June.
“So the degrees that we will be giving out come June 15 for this end of graduation exercise will have some special security features that we looked at [and] once we put out other universities will be able to learn from us and ensure that going forward it will be very difficult to forge or to fake.
“We aren’t saying it is impossible. What we will be doing it shows that [it will be extremely difficult because] we are using the QR code as a technology. So once you used your camera or scanner, it is the name of the person that will appear.
“The technology is such that it’s simple but it’s individually cloned for the specific name that will be on the certificate.
“And at the end of this process and now that we have had all the signatures of the dean, vice president for academic affairs, president and the chair of the board, the technology will close-up on that.
“So it will tie it in and it is that name that the system will know. So anytime you attempt to photocopy, then the QR code will not work. If you try breaking the code up, it is already sealed-up. So nobody can carry a fake paper anywhere,” she explained.
Cllr. Wesseh also spoke about an academic fraudster at an unnamed government ministry.
“There was someone, who took our degree, went to a ministry, purported to have attended the Methodist University and got a good position.
“But the entity reverted to this institution and we found out that the head of department of that institution was different, the vice president, who is currently in at the time that person [claimed to have graduated] wasn’t the vice president,” Cllr. Wesseh narrated.
She said UMU has internet services on campus to make the learning environment conducive for students.
Cllr. Wesseh has been heading an interim management team since the death of UMU President Emmanuel F. Bailey (Rev. Dr.) on November 26, 2025.
And one of the highlights of her stewardship is the progress of the Winfried J. Harley College of Health Sciences in Ganta, Nimba County.
“We thank God for the current dean, [Clinton] Zeantoe, because we were able to score high marks although it affected one of our small programs when the Board of Nursing and Midwifery [in Liberia] began setting up new standards.
“The board honored him because recently they have improved, outlined and outdoor a new curriculum. They actually distinguished and gowned him. We are pleased and proud of him.
“And so that is why we are investing in the campus so that by the end of the year we will install a 30KVA solar system to supply 24-hour electricity on campus. It is one of the legacy projects I will like to leave [behind],” she added.
Cllr. Wesseh was full of praises for UMU alumni, Nyemadi Pearson and Hellen S. Momoh, who graduated from Harvard University on 28 May.
Nyemadi earned a Master of Public Administration from John F. Kennedy School of Government while Hellen earned a Master of Science degree in data science and machine learning.
Hellen pitched her initiative Surna Technologies at the Harvard President’s 2026 Harvard Innovation Labs Challenge Awards Ceremony.
Surna Technologies is Africa’s first data refinery, a sovereign artificial intelligence cloud that enables nations to own, host and analyze their data to support stability and economic growth.
While Surna Technologies didn’t win the big prize, Harvard is confident this is just the beginning of its impact.
“It says that we have a very solid foundation because for all who know Harvard University is crème de la crème (the best of the best) in the Ivy Schools in the United States of America.
“Harvard is among the oldest universities and solid in its brand, solid in its academic output and like the [Holy] Bible will say it takes a lot to go through the eyes of the needle. So that’s what it takes to get to Harvard.
“So when we have two proud Liberian women even if they didn’t come from UMU, we are happy that they graduated from Harvard,” she praised.
