The vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia Prof Faqir Muhammad Anjum Thursday received a high-level delegation from Qatar. The team, which is currently in The Gambia to assess the country’s development priorities, was accompanied by the minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Badara A Joof.
Welcoming the delegation to the Kanifing Campus, the Registrar of the University, Mr. Momodou Lamin Tarro, expressed UTG’s gratitude to the visiting officials from Doha. He said UTG is committed to academic excellence and contributing to the socio-economic development of The Gambia.
Professor Dr. Faqir Muhammad Anjum, the vice chancellor made a powerpoint presentation of the history and progress of the University of The Gambia from 1999 to 2019. Prof Anjum also explained that the university has a mission to provide relevant, sustainable and high-quality education and research in respect to socio-economic, scientific and technological advancement of The Gambia.
The vice chancellor also informed the delegation of the the university’s goal of establishing a School of Dentistry and of mounting new graduate programmes in the sciences such as veterinary, animal, horticultural, food and agronomy by 2021.
The Minister of Higher Education, Badara A. Joof, acknowledged the importance of the new graduate programmes especially the need to do research in agriculture, saying the ‘’University of The Gambia has to lead in research in these areas to inform policymakers’’. He said the programmes are based on the needs of the country.
Mr. Samer R. Frangieh, speaking on behalf of the visiting delegation said they have been welcome with warmth since they arrived in the country.
“We are very impressed with the variety of programmes that this university is offering. We are very interested in education especially in knowing your priority needs like the Dentistry School,” Mr. Frangieh said.
The Senior Strategic Planning Adviser, Qatari Fund for Development, said they will engage with their partners and networks to tap the necessary resources to support the university. He added that they are looking forward to a partnership between the UTG and the Qatar University.
