By Binta Jaiteh
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MOHERST), has hosted the 8th ACE Impact Regional Project Steering Committee (PSC) and other ACE impacts of 11 countries in West Africa and Central Africa.
The meeting starts on the 14th and will end 18th of November
The meeting will discuss policies and implementation of the Regional Project as it brings together Ministers, PSC members, and focal points, the Gambia, and 600 participants from 53 centers of excellence are expected to attend.
During the opening President of The Gambia, HE Adama Barrow said as a Member State of ECOWAS, The Gambia is not only pleased to participate in this important regional event but also grateful and happy to partner with the World Bank, through ECOWAS, to be at the center of such a potentially impactful initiative.
According to him, he said as the African continent continues to redress its capacity gaps, particularly in the area of human resource development, nothing is more relevant than working towards building the capacity of African universities. Doing so empowers them to competently contribute to addressing the continent’s development challenges.
He noted that incidentally this workshop is organized at a time when his government is making concerted efforts to transform the higher education system through reforms that would put the youth at the forefront of national development.
Specific to the ACE Project, he said, The Gambia is working towards establishing a full-fledged Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Engineering for Entrepreneurship. The purpose for this focus is obvious; we need adequate human capital that is equipped with entrepreneurial mindsets to match our development strides and aspirations.
Honourable Professor Pierre Gomez Minister of Higher Education said the event is symbolic as it occurred when the country’s higher education reforms, specifically the STEE establishment at USET, achieved the desired objectives.
He said The Gambia since it entered into the Africa Centres of Excellence has benefited tremendously, more so in the human capital formation of crucial development institutions in The Gambia.
He noted that The Government of The Gambia expresses gratitude to the World Bank, the Association of African Universities, and other partners for their continued support of the country’s higher education sector development.
