Deputy Prime Minister His Excellency Mr Beşir Atalay represented the government at the inauguration of the events which were organised in collaboration with the African embassies in Ankara. As part of this great event, on the 21st may 2014 the Vice Chancellor of the University of the Gambia visited Gazi University in Ankara to commemorate the day. Gazi University hosted the African day celebration which is commemorated every year. This year it was with a difference, Gazi University on the African day celebration invited more than 30 African university vice chancellors to attend the program which the Vice Chancellor of UTG was part of. During the gathering, Prof. Muhammadou MO Kah was given the privilege to speak to the Turkish National TV on behalf of all the attending Vice Chancellors. Speaking to the media, Prof Kah alluded to the importance of their being invited to this wonderful gathering. He also did mention the importance of collaborating as universities with the aim of contributing to the development of humanity
Panels and meetings organised in commemoration of Africa Day with the participation of more than thirty chancellors and vice-chancellors of African universities have been productive and useful for expressing views regarding the development of the Turkey-Africa Partnership. We aim at carrying Turkish-African cooperation one step further through decisions that will be adopted in the Second Turkey-Africa Summit which will be held in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea on November 2014.
In another engagement in the evening the host university (Gazi University) organized an education panel in which Prof Kah of UTG was the chair of the program. This panel was geared toward talking about the problems African universities face and how they can come out with possible solutions to those problems. Furthermore, the way Gazi University can collaborate with African universities in a mutually benefiting platform. Speaking to the gathering as the chair of the program Prof Kah said that for any development in a country it should be pioneered by the university since it is the center of knowledge where the future leaders are groomed.
The panel ended with the signing of MoUs between Gazi University and the attending universities. Part of the MoU was how the attending universities can work with Gazi University in order to improve the educational system of their various universities.
Professor Muhammadou MO Kah, Vice Chancellor of the University of the Gambia signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding with Prof Sulayman Buyukberber, the Vice Chancellor of Gazi University. This MoU, which will last for five years, is anchored on these five main objectives:
1. Exchange of university faculty members and researchers
2. Exchange of students
3. Organisation of joint research projects, including conferences, meetings, seminars and workshops
4. Exchange of information and publications, and
5. Other activities mutually agreed by the two institutions.
The African continent is one of the rising actors in international relations. It has been consolidating its position and increasing its influence in the international system day by day thanks to its human potential and natural resources. Celebrating this year the 51st anniversary of its foundation, the African Union finds solutions to the problems faced by the continent and conducts active diplomacy for producing policies serving the interests of Africans.
Turkey will keep sharing its historical experience, its social, political and cultural knowledge and its possibilities and resources with African governments and peoples based on the principle of “African solutions for African problems” and on mutual benefit. Moreover, as a strategic partner of the African Union, Turkey will continue to support African countries and to be the voice of Africa in regional and international platforms
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