Held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, the validation seeks to help harmonize and align the higher education system with both national aspirations and international standards.
Addressing participants at the validation, Professor Pierre Gomez, Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, said the forum would help establish institutions towards achieving academic excellence, innovation and service to The Gambia and the world at large.
Professor Gomez reminded that the Act 2016 was enacted to provide a policy direction on governance, accountability and academic excellence in the tertiary and higher education institutions.
As education evolves amid the current expansion within the tertiary and higher education sector, Minister Gomez noted that there was the need to review and update the Act to ensure consistency, relevance and responsiveness to the sector.
“The review covers amendments for governing and managing public and private tertiary and higher education institutions in The Gambia,” he said.
Thus, he reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to upholding evidence-based policy and good governance, promoting inclusive and gender-responsive education, strengthening technical and vocational pathways alongside academic excellence, mobilizing resources and partnerships to sustain reform.
Also speaking, Dr. Momdou Lamin Tarro, Chief Executive Officer, the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance (NAQAA) outlined that the Tertiary and Higher Education Act, 2016, has served as the principal legislative instrument guiding the governance, regulation, accreditation, and quality assurance of tertiary and higher education institutions in the country.
He recalled that over the years, the higher education landscape has undergone considerable transformation, both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Tarro indicated that the new modes of delivery, evolving quality assurance standards, technological advancements and emerging institutional realities have necessitated a critical review of the Act.
