The University of The Gambia (UTG) and the National Assembly (NA) of The Gambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in an event held at the National Assembly in Banjul.
The purpose of the MOU is to cooperate on an internship scheme for 100 students to be exposed to the functions of The National Assembly. Intern(s) will be attached to a member of The National Assembly to gain practical experience through learning, assisting and exchanging knowledge for capacity building.
Mr. Momodu A. Sise, Clerk of the National, expressed delight over the signing of the MoU. He explained that the NA involved in quite a lot of activities, which requires both research and research implementations which he believes the intervention of the interns will reduce the workload for parliamentarians.
“The internship provides unique exposure to the contours of public policy and law-making through the lens of a parliamentarian. It will enable the Interns to understand and appreciate the working of Parliament and parliamentary democracy, besides exposing them to various aspects of practices and procedures of Parliament.” Added Mr. Sese.
Professor Herbert Robinson, the Vice Chancellor of UTG, described the signing of the MoU as a great climb for both institutions. According to him, aside the internship cooperation, the MoU will avail both parties the opportunity to collaborate on other areas such as: Assessment and data collection, research and policy analysis, innovation and capacity development, among others.
“The specific areas of cooperation focus on: Increasing employability, youth awareness and participation in politics; Supporting National Assembly members in carrying out research in a wide range of areas and to facilitate the diffusion of knowledge to support policy formulation.”
The UNDP Residence Representative, Ms. Aissata De said “The University of The Gambia is a centre of knowledge, research and excellence, and an important strategic partner in the pursuit of the NDP in The Gambia, and the SDGs globally. As the custodian of the Constitution and guardian of the people, mention that you are happy that the National Assembly will be supported by the University to access, analyse and generate data on any aspect of their work.”
Powered by the United Nations Fund for Population of Affairs (UNFPA) the 100 university students in different field of studies will soon be deployed to the National Assembly.
The ceremony was attended by the Clerk of the National Assembly, The Vice Chancellor of UTG, Residence Representative for UNDP, Assistant Residence Coordinator for UNFPA and senior officers of the said institutions.