Gonet Academy ESIA & Compliance Students Gain Real-World Insight During Field Trip to LAC

Students of Gonet Academy’s Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Compliance & Risk Management programs successfully completed an intensive educational field trip to the Liberian Agricultural Company (LAC) on November 28, 2025—an experience described by both faculty and learners as one of the Academy’s most enriching practical engagements.

The exercise forms part of Gonet Academy’s hands-on academic model designed to ensure that students do not only learn theories in the classroom but understand how those theories translate into real workplace operations, national regulatory frameworks, and environmental management practices.

According to students’ testimonies, the field trip brought learning to life as during the visit, students were immersed in various operational departments at LAC, where they gained exposure to environmental safeguards and impact mitigation systems, field-level data collection techniques, agro-industrial plantation operations, and compliance and regulatory frameworks in the agricultural sector. Others were occupational health and safety protocols, and social engagement mechanisms between concession operations and local communities.

The students described the experience as “a rare opportunity to see the actual implementation of what we study every day,” adding that interacting with field experts “made the concepts more real and practical.”

LAC officials opened their facilities for guided tours, interactive discussions, and demonstration sessions. They welcomed the students and highlighted the importance of cultivating a new generation of environmental and compliance professionals.

The experts told the students that Liberia needs well-trained experts who understand not only the environmental laws but also how to work with communities and manage risks. The LAC officials expressed excitement over working with Gonet Academy in shaping those future professionals.

Students asked questions on biodiversity protection, labor issues, concession obligations, data systems, and grievance handling—areas central to Liberia’s environmental governance.

Why Field Trips Matter: The Educational Value

Field trips have long been recognized globally as a powerful learning tool, particularly for fields like ESIA, compliance, agriculture, environmental science, and risk management. Educational researchers note that such trips strengthen experiential learning by allowing students to apply classroom knowledge, improve critical thinking through observation, questioning, and real-time analysis, enhance employability by exposing learners to industry standards, deepen understanding of complex systems like environmental safeguards and concession management, and build professional confidence through interaction with practitioners.

For disciplines centered on regulation, risk, and sustainability—where national challenges such as deforestation, pollution, land-use conflicts, and concession management remain pressing—field experiences are indispensable.

Many experts believe that a single day in the field can clarify what weeks in the classroom may not as students begin to understand the scale of environmental work and the seriousness of compliance obligations.

The objectives of the trip were fully achieved, the Training Specialist noted. By the end of the tour, students were able to observe real-time applications of ESIA and compliance monitoring, understand mitigation measures used to reduce environmental and social impacts, and interact with field professionals for mentorship and career guidance.

A Tradition of Practical Excellence at Gonet Academy

The LAC field trip builds on Gonet Academy’s growing portfolio of practical engagements across multiple sectors. In recent years, students have conducted field learning exercises at the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant, observing energy production and environmental safeguards, the National Port Authority, studying maritime compliance and port security systems, Cemenco, where they examined industrial operations, pollution control, and safety protocols, the Paynesville Waste Transfer Station, for lessons in municipal waste management, and local community wetlands, assessing biodiversity, water quality, and conservation practices.

Each of these outings reinforces Gonet Academy’s belief that competent professionals are shaped not only by the theories they learn but by the environments they experience.

Gonet Academy CEO, Mohammed Kerkulah praised the students’ curiosity and discipline, while reaffirming the institution’s mission, “Liberia is facing complex environmental and regulatory challenges. Our role is to train professionals who can respond with knowledge, integrity, and practical skills. Field experiences like this are part of our promise to the nation.”

As Gonet Academy continues to expand partnerships with companies and institutions across Liberia, such field trips will remain central to shaping a workforce capable of addressing the country’s growing environmental, social, and compliance needs.