By Tamsir Gaye
The International Open University (IOU) on 13th January 2024 marked its 10th Convocation Ceremony for graduating classes of Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. The event was held at the Alliance Francaise, along Kairaba Avenue.
Five hundred and eighty-five (585) students graduated worldwide, out of which one hundred and twenty students are from The Gambia. Fifteen students from across the world graduated with Master of Arts in Islamic Studies while three hundred and seventy-three students graduating with Bachelor degrees in various fields. Twenty-five students awarded Associate degrees and twenty-three with certificates.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor and President of the University Dr Cherno Omar Barry hailed the achievements of all the graduates and commended them for their hard work and dedication during their course of studies.
He lauded the efforts of Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips whom he proudly called Gambia’s educational ambassador, “from whose brain child emanated the inception of the International Open University, which is providing useful knowledge to hundreds of thousands of people around the world of all nationalities, races, religions and creed”.
The Vice Chancellor highlighted the vision of the University with its aim of imparting knowledge and inculcating spiritual and morals uprightness for a better society. “At the International Open University, we prioritize educating the minds and hearts. We believe in the integration of faith and learning, connecting all areas of studies to the Islamic perspective,” he asserted.
For the Dr Bilal Philips, founder and Chancellor, there is the need to build and maintain global unity through education, which he said is the fundamental mandate of his University. “Education, my dear graduates contain a unique ability to eliminate ignorance and provide essential guidance to human society. It serves as a catalyst for the advancement of communities and human civilizations as a whole”, he stated.
He also underscored the need to consider and inculcate divine guidance through education in the classroom as religion has proven to be a traditional upkeep of moral values for a better and saver world, free from human tragedy and destruction. He cited the ongoing conflict in Palestine as an example of human deviation from Divine Guidance and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing at the end of the Second World War by the United States, in which many lives were lost as another example of human deviation from Divine Guidance. “The only way to collectively advance human civilization is through education, and that only succeeds if the education keeps Moral Values” he advised.
The Minister for Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE), Madame Claudiana Cole thanked Dr Philips for his vision in advancing education and for creating an enabling environment for learning.
She also hailed the MRC- Holland for their generous financial support in providing scholarship for teachers in order to attend IOU. “Their contribution has allowed them to believe that these students who are graduating today are already set for that task to contribute to the development and uplifting education in The Gambia and raise the standard of our students”.
The event witnessed the conferment of degrees and certificates to graduating students by the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor of the University.
The MRC Holland was awarded Certificate of Commendation for excellent services they have been rendering to the IOU.
Mr. Gibril Jaw was posthumously awarded Certificate of Appreciation for his tireless efforts in the accreditation journey of the University. The Citation was read by Mr. Ebrima Fatajo, the Quality Assurance Officer (QAO) at IOU Headquarters.
Alagie S. Jallow, the 2023 Valedictorian for the IOU graduates in The Gambia, gave the 2023 valedictory address for the 2023 graduating students.
The vote of thanks was delivered by the IOU Deputy Administrative Assistant Mr. Sidike Ceesay.
The event also graced the registrar and moderator of the event, Mr. Ebou Ibrahim Gaye; distinguished members of the University’s governing body; Dr. Alieu Gibba, who doubles as lecturer at UTG; and Dr. Kalifa Ceesay, a member of the IOU Governing Council, and a cross section of the society.
