More Gambians Go Abroad to Study Science And Technology

The Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has always insisted that in education, “the sky is the limit”, and in order to realize that aim, he has recently acquired hundreds of scholarships from friendly countries for young Gambians to go abroad to study, mainly in science and technology.

The latest of such scholarships come from Malaysia, which has approved 50 science and technology scholarships for Gambians to study at Malaysian universities and technology institutes, APA learns here Tuesday.

The students who were shown being given their final briefing by Gambian and Malaysian officials in the presence of parents at the Kairaba Beach Hotel this week will soon leave for Kuala Lumpur, an official of the higher education and science ministry confirmed to APA on Tuesday.

The Malaysian students are part of a bigger design to boast science and technology education in The Gambia on a large scale. Just last month, 65 students of science and technology were granted scholarships to study in Venezuelan institutions of higher education.

Coming fast on the heels of these developments is the publication of a list of about 140 students invited to attend a selection interview on Tuesday for similar scholarship awards in Venezuela in the 2008/2009 academic year.

Following their interview by the ministry of education officials and specialists from Venezuela, it is expected that another batch of 65 students will proceed to Venezuela for further education in fields as diverse as computer science, telecommunications engineering, mechanical engineering, medicine, agriculture, civil engineering, petroleum engineering, civil construction, geology and electrical engineering.

Meanwhile, the first batch of 24 Taiwanese scholarship holders from The Gambia who were pursuing courses in petroleum engineering and information technology in the past four years have now graduated and are looking forward to their return to Banjul, higher education and science ministry officials, who attended their graduation stated Tuesday.

At the same time, a further group of 25 students are in line for more Taiwanese scholarships to study science and technology, sources say.

These developments are in line with government policy to give top priority to science and technology education in accordance with the strategy to develop the country. Already, President Jammeh has announced a policy of making The Gambia “the silicon valley of Africa” and one strategy towards attaining that objective is the present emphasis being given to science education and to the importance of information technology. Petroleum prospecting and mineral exploration are also being given high priority.

In line with this move, a science and mathematics academy for the best students in the country is being set up with Taiwanese government funds in the President’s birth place of Kanilai, some 100 kilometers from Banjul.

Source African Press Agency

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