A high-level Gambian delegation led by the Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, has concluded a landmark visit to Senegal, resulting in a powerful new framework for bilateral cooperation.
The four-day mission, from December 7-10, 2025, culminated in the finalisation and commitment to implement a detailed 2025-2030 Action Plan with Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI). This plan translates the long-standing fraternal ties between the two nations into concrete, actionable programmes.
Key Outcomes of the Bilateral Engagement:
• Scholarship Boost: Senegal is committed to funding 50 scholarships annually for Gambian students at Master’s, PhD, undergraduate, and TVET diploma levels in priority fields like STEM, agriculture, and health.
• Structured Mobility: Agreement to establish formal faculty, researcher, and student exchange programmes between institutions in both countries.
• Joint Innovation Drive: The two ministries will launch an annual Senegal-Gambia Innovation Challenge to spur entrepreneurship and problem-solving.
• TVET Partnership: Gambia’s Centres of Excellence will partner directly with Senegal’s advanced ISEP institutes (Instituts Supérieurs d’Enseignement Professionnel) for curriculum development, staff training, and equipment planning.
• Quality Assurance Synergy: The National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) will deepen its operational 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 monitor the implementation of this ambitious plan, with a mid-term review scheduled for 2028. Hon. Prof. Gomez also extended an invitation to his Senegalese counterpart, Hon. Prof. Daouda Ngom, for a reciprocal visit to The Gambia in March 2026, which was accepted.
The delegation also gained valuable insights from site visits, including to ISEP Diamniadio, where they observed a successful 70% practical, 30% theory training model directly aligned with industry needs.
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