By Fatoumatta Joof
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) last week held a day-long meeting with various stakeholders, including the Organisation of the Southern Cooperation (OSC), at the Ministry’s conference hall. The Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Gomez, the Permanent Secretary, and senior staff of MoHERST attended the meeting with participants from various institutions in the country.
The meeting focused on key thematic areas, including setting up the first-ever Interdisciplinary Research Centre in The Gambia as part of the roll-out of the two research centres to be established in the Global South by OSC. The Gambia has been identified to house the Centre for the Africa Region, while the second Centre will be in Latin America.
The Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, stressed the government’s desire to work with the OSC in a programme that has come to address the challenges besetting development of The Gambia and the entire Global South.
Minister Gomez stated that this initiative came just a few months after MoHERST and OSC signed an MoU in Ethiopia and commended the Technical Team’s proactiveness. He emphasised that His Excellency President Adama Barrow has expressed interest in promoting research and collaboration in critical areas that would benefit The Gambia, Africa, and humanity.
The Gambia stands to gain significantly from the establishment of this Intergovernmental Research Centre. The Minister reiterated that the Centre will host diverse researchers who can collaborate and share knowledge with home-based researchers, and their research outputs will play a pivotal role in addressing our country’s challenges. This prospect of impactful research should instil a sense of optimism and hope among the stakeholders.
Prof. Gomez also referenced the President’s recent speech at the University of The Gambia’s convocation ceremony held at the Faraba-Banta campus, calling on graduates to be agents of change and impact their communities. According to the Hon. Minister, this can also be achieved through collaborative research through an interdisciplinary approach.
Prof. Hirut Woldemariam Teketel, the OSC’s Under-Secretary-Generalfor Research, Evaluation and Foresight and Head of Delegation, expressed her satisfaction with the OSC’s mandate to partner with The Gambia in this endeavour. The Under-Secretary-General and the Head of Delegation stated that the initiative is meant to project a development trajectory in line with the glaring realities of the Global South.
In his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary at MoHERST, Dr. Yusupha Touray, expressed deep appreciation to the OSC and all the stakeholders present for their invaluable time and contributions. He underscored the collaborative nature of the meeting, noting that the stakeholders will discuss the thematic areas relevant to The Gambia and the Region, as well as the Global South and the World in general. The OSC delegation will conduct a few visits to key research institutions in The Gambia and a tour of the proposed site identified in the new University Campus at Faraba, further emphasising the importance of their input.
Highlighting the significance of the proposed Research Centre, PS Touray expressed satisfaction that we can now conduct robust research processes to address our challenges as a country and a region.
