The event, held alongside the celebration of the Africa Science Week, witnessed a robotics competition and outreach programmes designed to help popularise and motivate more students to take up mathematics and science related careers.
Held on Tuesday 23rd June 2026 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo, the event signals Gambia’s commitment towards investing in knowledge, exploitation of talents, and shaping the future of the young people.
Further, the establishment of the new campus represents a significant step in the country’s journey toward building a knowledge-based economy driven by science, innovation, and human capital development.
The AIMS-Gambia Satellite Campus will be situated at the former School of Journalism Kanifing Campus under the auspices of the University of The Gambia to contribute directly towards expanding opportunities for Gambian students to access world-class postgraduate education in mathematical sciences, data science, and artificial intelligence.
At the event, Professor Pierre Gomez reminded that the coming of AIMS into The Gambia is not simply the establishment of a satellite campus, but the opening of a gateway for Gambian students, researchers, and educators.
The new Satellite Campus, he added, seeks to strengthen Gambia's national capacity in mathematical sciences, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI), while expanding access to world-class postgraduate education, research, and innovation opportunities for Gambian youth.
The initiative, he said, supports The Gambia's Vision 2050 agenda and forms part of a long-term roadmap to develop the satellite campus into a fully-fledged AIMS Centre of Excellence.
Operating under the academic leadership and strategic guidance of AIMS Senegal, he said the Satellite Campus will leverage AIMS Senegal's established programmes, faculty expertise, research ecosystem and international partnerships.
Through this arrangement, he believes Gambian students will gain access to internationally recognised academic programmes and opportunities across the wider AIMS Network, including AIMS centres in Rwanda and South Africa.
Gomez assured that AIMS-Gambia will be the centre where the generation of AI technologies and applications will be nurtured for use by different sectors of the economy in line with national development priorities.
“The long-term vision is to ensure we get the future generation to understand that excellence in science can emerge from within every locality in The Gambia. The vision is to ensure that the Satellite Campus grows into a vibrant Centre of Excellence, serving as a hub for advanced learning, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in The Gambia and across the region,” he continued.
He noted that its operations will be aligned with the Gambia National Qualifications Framework ensuring appropriate programme domiciliation.
Professor Mouhamed Moustapha Fall, President of AIMS Senegal, emphasised the importance of regional collaboration in strengthening scientific capacity across West Africa.
