The University of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the British Council, on Friday 12th March 2010, organized a day’s conference on the Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DELPHE) project. The forum focused on the mid-year review of the project.

The conference held at the British Council Hall attracted participants who are carrying out researches and other related development activities on DELPHE. British Council Director, Dr. June Rollinson, said the UK Government Department for International Development (DFID), is investing up to £15m in the DELPHE programme to support the building and strengthening of capacity in higher education in countries across sub Saharan African and Asia. She maintained that the overall goal of DELPHE is to enable higher education institutions to act as catalysts for poverty reduction and sustainable development by strengthening research, teaching and consulting bases and promoting crucial MDG and science and technology related knowledge and skills. She furthered that DELPHE also focused on local issues including health education, gender equity, infrastructure, water, fisheries, agriculture, and information communication technology, Madam Elenorah Metzger at the British Council gave a brief statement on the mid year reporting. She disclosed that money budgeted or delivered for the project in the last six months should be utilized before another is disbursed. She informed that the project established in 2001 will fold up in 2013.