Prof. Robinson was speaking on the occasion of the 14th Convocation Ceremony of the UTG held at QCity, Bijilo.
Highlighting on some of the achievements registered by the UTG for the period under review, the UTG VC said a new Directorate of Research and Consultancy was set up to coordinate and support staff and to build capacity, while further claiming that D16 million was provided as a research grant/seed funding for UTG staff to undertake research relevant to the needs of the society.
The Office of University Relations, he said, was established to widen cooperation and develop partnerships with the University at local, national, and international levels, adding that about 10 institutions/universities have renewed their partnership agreements with UTG, with activities such as faculty and student exchanges, and joint research projects.
“The libraries at University of the Gambia have undergone significant changes, which included the establishment of the University Main Library and renovation of its branches. The digital revolution of the library has already started. The subscription of the EBSCO Host Journal online database is a success story. It is now possible for the UTG Community to benefit from the same journals database as top-notch universities across the globe.”
The vision and plans for the transformation of UTG, Prof. Dr. Herbert Robinson added, has evolved from inspiration to impact, and today “we are redoubling our efforts with a view to securing the long-term sustainability of the University and to leapfrog into the digital future.”
“Universities all over the world focus on three major objectives – (1) to educate students, (2) to produce knowledge and (3) to apply the knowledge produced to inform teaching and to facilitate development through socio-economic and environmental transformation, working with various stakeholders such as government, private sector, and development partners.”
“It is therefore important to realign the core objectives of the University of The Gambia to put more emphasis on, supporting teaching and learning, supporting research – to inform teaching and enhance the learning experience of students.”
“I would like to appeal once again to all our friends, well-wishers and partners to support our Quality-First Agenda and re-position UTG as a top–ranking University in Africa.”
“I call on the public sector institutions, private sector, civil society and development partners to collaborate more with the University of The Gambia. The university needs your support to reposition itself as a center for incubation of innovative ideas that will address the problems of our nation through Centres of Excellence and Innovation.”
