Excerpt of President Barrow’s Statement on the Occassion of the 13th Convocation of The University of the Gambia
“The premise of this address is that one of the roles of the University is to groom good citizens for meaningful adult life that is positive, rewarding and fulfilling. Generally, university life is expected to equip students with experiences, higher analytical skills, creative thinking and the ability to explore and act on useful knowledge.
These should shape the students’ behaviour and thoughts for transformation into impactful citizenship.
I am optimistic that to meet the expectations of your families, communities, alma mater, friends and the nation as a whole, this graduation ceremony will help you, the young graduates, to reflect further on the meaning of life, its challenges and opportunities for a successful adult life and good democratic citizenship.
Life may mean different things to us, but the general rule is that choices and priorities have to be made wisely in order to ably handle the struggles and opportunities that characterise it the world over. For many successful people, the concept and purpose of life should be reflected in our actions; hence, we should ask ourselves searching questions to guide our behaviour and actions.
As Head of State, I urge you to consider, among others, such questions as: Are we content with the way society is? What can we do positively, as individuals and collectively as a people, to change the negative and harmful elements around us? How can we usefully and honestly serve our nation and society at large? What values and principles must we respect and never compromise?
My government acknowledges the significant strides registered in the higher education sector over the last couple of years. Not to mention other qualifications, The Gambia can now boast of many Masters and PhD degree holders who live and work in the country or outside.
We appreciate these achievements, and I assure you that education will always be given top priority by the Government.
I sincerely thank the staff and lecturers of the UTG for delivering in-country the much needed education services and programmes. “
