Officials of the University of The Gambia on Wednesday at its Brikama campus met with a delegation from the University of Illinois Springfield, USA, under the leadership of Dr Karen Moranski, associate Vice Chancellor for undergraduate education.
The delegation had a roundtable meeting with the vice chancellor and senior management of the UTG to map out strategies that will strengthen the existing collaboration and partnership between the two institutions, which began with a summer internship programme and a proposed master’s degree programme at the Department of Public and Environmental Health.
In his statement, Prof. Muhammed O. Kah, vice chancellor of the UTG, said the UTG continues to look at core areas needed to improve sustenance to humanity at large, adding that both institutions share common values, which they discovered since their first meeting.
After discovering common values between both institutions, Prof Kah said they went to the University of Illinois to display their appreciation and commitment, to collaborate and partner with the US university in a manner that stands to benefit all their students and faculties.
The UTG is committed to work hand in hand with their leadership at the University of Illinois to ensure they actualize this very important initiative, Prof. Kah said, adding that the university “knows no boundary”.
The UTG is certainly not for only Gambians but for humanity and their mission costs them to respond and serve the needs of society, he added, saying if they cooperate as two institutions, together they will uplift their institutions to world class institutions that will be destinations to many.
Dr Omar Jah, deputy vice chancellor of the UTG, said the collaboration is a thought-out one with no doubt that it will be fruitful. He added that the establishment is a win-win situation, with a lot of areas they need support and they have seen things being done when it comes to curricular development such as public health as well as research.
There are areas in the administration they need nurturing and grooming, such as the finance and admin sectors, he said, adding that the goal is to build a world class university.
For her part, Dr Karen, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education in UIS and head of the delegation, said they came to The Gambia to deepen their relationship and to see what the UTG has been doing, to contribute to the growth of the university.
The collaboration is very important to UIS,” she said, adding that their relationship with the UTG has made a very great difference on the students and the faculty that participated in last year’s delegation through their campus.