The plan translates the long-standing fraternal relations between the two nations into concrete programmes designed to strengthen higher education, research, and innovation.
Key outcomes include: Scholarship boost; Senegal will provide 50 scholarships annually for Gambian students across Master’s, PhD, undergraduate, and TVET diploma levels, prioritising fields such as STEM, agriculture, and health.
On the issue of structured Mobility: Formal faculty, researcher, and student exchange programmes will be established between institutions in both countries, while on the joint innovation drive: An annual Senegal–Gambia Innovation Challenge will be launched to encourage entrepreneurship and problem-solving.
TVET Partnership: Gambia’s Centres of Excellence will collaborate with Senegal’s advanced ISEP institutes (Instituts Supérieurs d’Enseignement Professionnel) on curriculum development, staff training, and equipment planning.
Quality Assurance Synergy: The National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) will deepen collaboration with Senegal’s ANAQ-SUP, sharing best practices in accreditation and institutional evaluation.
A Joint Technical Committee will be established within three months to oversee the implementation of the plan, with a mid-term review scheduled for 2028.
During the mission, the Gambian delegation also visited ISEP Diamniadio, where they observed a successful training model comprising 70% practical and 30% theoretical instruction, directly aligned with industry needs.
In a further sign of deepening ties, Minister Gomez extended an invitation to his Senegalese counterpart, Hon. Prof. Daouda Ngom, to undertake a reciprocal visit to The Gambia in March 2026. Prof. Ngom accepted the invitation, underscoring the commitment of both nations to sustained collaboration.
