The agreement was made at the Turkish Higher Education Mission Office during the Minister’s recent visit.
Also, more agreements are expected to be signed between these institutions and the University of Applied Science Engineering and Technology (USET), according MoHERST officials.
The Minister’s visit brought about concrete agreements centered on scholarships and partnerships that will help address the skills and capacity gaps, likewise respond to the tertiary and higher education transformation agenda that MoHERST is spearheading in line with the development aspirations of The Gambia.
According to Professor Pierre Gomez, the minister of Higher Education, Research Science and Technology, the areas of collaboration between the institutions involved capacity building, training of faculty staff of universities from The Gambia, especially at masters and PhD in relevant areas.
He said these will include training in the Fisheries and Agribusiness disciplines in preparation for establishing TVET centers in these areas. He noted that offers were also made in biotechnology and the physical and natural sciences.
This includes joint and collaborative research work, particularly in the aquatic sciences, academic exchange programmes, sharing of journal resources with the Gambia’s academic community.
The minister revealed that to support in setting out science labs for UTG, there will also be support for USET providing relevant information and expertise regarding setting up an innovation and entrepreneurship lab, including details on designs and equipment requirements and the innovation and entrepreneurship hub.
Minister Gomez disclosed that 10 scholarships will be awarded to Gambians in Masters and PhD in fisheries and engineering.
He advanced that the agreements reached and the scholarships secured will be pursued by a proposed technical committee through the supervision of MoHERST, YOK, TIKA and the follow-up and liaison activities of the Gambian Embassy in Turkey.
Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MoHERST commended the Gambian Embassy in Turkey for their professional facilitation and support.
