By Landing Colley
A UK-based Gambian professor, who is also director of London School of Economics (LSE), has urged students of University of The Gambia to dedicate their knowledge towards national development.
Professor Gibril Faal, an internationally renowned multi- disciplinarian with a diverse professional background was invited over the weekend by University of The Gambia for the university convocation to lecture students on ‘University Education and Social Economic Development in The Gambia.
“In The Gambia University, graduate are still part of small group of people privilege to have gained so high a level of education with academy attainment. I invite you to embrace it with slum humility and renew your dedication to national and community advancement through positive ways,” Professor Gibril Faal told students.
He said the UTG lecturers look up to students to be both actor and factor in the socio-economic advancement of their families, communities, the country and global human family at large. Adding, they are expected to guide the soul of human to eternal salvation because of the expectation and responsibility they carry is nonetheless high.
“It is not an accident that the first graduate from institution of higher learning in human history were the prefer clerics who attain enough learning and the abandon of virtue to go out in to the world and minister to the soul of women and men and administer the affair of the mankind.
“Why will government provide financial subvention to the universities? Why will foundation and philanthropist fund universities? Why will family’s sell their assets, acquire loans to pay for universities? Why will companies sponsor employee to undertake further studies costing them cash and lost in labor time?” he asked.
The underlined conceptual reason, he stated, is that the scholarship fosters and nurture by at universities generates idealist and practical result which accrue an individual family, community, national and global level. In some, a public good of socio-economic development is generated.
He urged the UTG to introduce the vocational skill in their curriculum saying knowledge of scripture is not enough.