The University of The Gambia yesterday, 19th January 2023 held the 8th and 10th Annual General Meeting of the Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU) at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Conference Center, Bijilo.
In his opening remark, Prof Herbert Robinson, Vice Chancellor at the University of the Gambia expressed gratitude at the 8th Annual Conference of the Association of West Africa Universities jointly hosted by the University of The Gambia.
“We at the University of the Gambia are working assiduously to strengthen and consolidate our teachings for admission to our various undergraduate and postgraduate programs to enhance the quality of the student body.
“Our quest for improving the quality of the education at UTG necessitated recalibration and refocusing on the students and working to strengthen the screening and selection of candidates for admission to our various undergraduate and postgraduate programs,” he said.
The Professor stated that the 6s are the Students’ experience, Staff development, and welfare, Space for teaching, learning and recreation, Sustainable financing, System for performance management, and Stakeholder engagement to strengthen the link between academia and industry.
On his part, Abdullahi Bala, Chairman of the Association of West Africa Universities (AWAU) also said the fact that the conference is being held in the Gambia is an act of providence of deep significance. “We may recall that the present Executive Committee of AWAU took the mantle of leadership on the 10th of October 2019 with a three-year mandate,” he reminded the gathering.
He added that following an appointment as the 3rd Executive Council of AWAU on that memorable day, 10th October 2019, at the 9th Annual General Meeting at the University Abomey- Calavi Benin Republic. They held extensive discussions with the Vice Chancellor Prof Faqir Muhammad Anjum.
However, he said, “Quite a number of us attended a Summit on the development of AWAU’s five-year Strategic Plan (2022-2027) at the Association of African Universities Secretariat, Accra, Ghana from the 12th to 15th of July 2022 and the plan took cognizance of new realities post COVID.”