By Fatoumata Joof
The Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, representing the Government of The Gambia, last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Honourable Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The MoU aims to enhance bilateral cooperation in higher education, scientific research, and innovation between the Republic of The Gambia and the Kingdom of Morocco.
At the signing ceremony, Minister Pierre Gomez highlighted the longstanding relationship between Morocco and The Gambia dating back to the 1970s. He emphasised President Barrow’s directive to strengthen cooperation with Morocco, focusing on providing quality education and training opportunities for Gambian youth domestically and internationally to bolster human capital.
He announced a substantial boost for Gambian students, with Morocco awarding 120 scholarships for the 2024 academic year. These scholarships, prioritising fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), as well as Health and Agriculture, are a testament to the concrete outcomes of the MoU.
He noted that the Scholarship Advisory Board is actively shortlisting candidates for Master’s and PhD programmes in the Kingdom of Morocco, with plans to send the first batch of students next semester. He added that another round of applications will be invited to expand educational opportunities in subsequent semesters, covering various disciplines across public and private tertiary institutions.
Given the recent advancements in Gambian tertiary education, including establishing the Civil Service University and the University of Education at The Gambia College, Prof Gomez described the MoU as timely. He thanked the Kingdom of Morocco for the significant partnership, opportunity and support rendered to The Gambia.
The Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Abdellatif Miraoui, underscored the enduring cooperation and friendship between Morocco and The Gambia. He reiterated Morocco’s commitment, under the directives of King Mohammed VI, to support The Gambia’s National Development Plan 2023-2027 (Yiriwa) through bilateral agreements across multiple sectors. This support is a clear indication of the broader implications of the MoU beyond the field of education. He highlighted the significant enrollment of Gambian students in Moroccan universities and emphasised collaborative research efforts over the past decade as indicators of robust inter-university cooperation.
Mr. Ahmed Belhadj, the Charge D’Affairs of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco to The Gambia, emphasised Morocco’s policy of South-South Cooperation and its willingness to share expertise with African nations, including The Gambia. He expressed optimism that the MoU would strengthen bilateral relations in higher education and innovation, contributing to The Gambia’s development objectives.
