By Olimatou Coker
The Chinese Embassy in Banjul has yesterday held an admission notice and awards ceremony for ten Gambian students who gained Chinese government scholarship to study in China.
The ceremony was held at the embassy in Bijilo.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Liu Jin, the Chinese Ambassador to The Gambia, said education and people-to-people exchanges are an important part of the China-Gambia friendly cooperation, as well as a bridge and bond for China-Gambia relationship.
“Since the resumption of diplomatic relations between our two countries, more than 280
Gambian students have received scholarships to study in China. Out of this, 155 graduates have returned to The Gambia for further development while 100 students are currently studying in China,” the ambassador said.
He added that the Chinese government also provides various bilateral and multilateral training programs and capacity building for Gambians.
The ambassador said last month, the minister of Higher Education went to China to attend the 12th China-Africa think-tank Forum where he signed an MoU on vocational education cooperation with the ministry of education of China, which will greatly help The Gambia’s vocational education development and personnel training.
“Gambian National Assembly Members, government officials, experts and scholars, media professionals and young people too were invited to visit China,” he said.
Ambassador Jin revealed that about 300 Gambian friends will go to China this year.
Prof Pierre Gomez, the minister of higher education, research, science and technology, thanked the Chinese government for demonstrating that they are friends of The Gambia. “Your Excellency, The Gambia government is very grateful,” Minister Gomez told the ambassador.
He urged the students to make good use of the offer and be good ambassadors of The Gambia.
