The President of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), Dr. Kakha Shengelia visited the Gambia last week from the 8th to the 10th May 2018. Through the good offices of the Honorable Minister for Higher Education Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), the IAUP president met with the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, Her Excellency Mrs. Fatoumata Jallow Tambajang. Dr. Shengelia also held talks with MoHERST Minister, Mr. Badara Joof as well as with the following: the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Gambia, the CEO of the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA), the Director of the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI), the President of the American International University West Africa, the Vice Chancellor of the International Open University, and the Director of Operations of EUCLID University.
During his meeting with the Vice President, Dr. Shengelia explained that his vision for the next 3 years as IAUP President is dedicated towards maximizing higher education opportunities for African countries, including the Gambia. He further emphasized his global mission to help improve the academic relevance and quality assurance standards of African Higher Education Institutions to become acclaimed centers of teaching and learning excellence, modeled along the lines of the best universities in Europe and the United States. For this reason, his mission to the Gambia as well as other select African countries, is to embark upon a systematic research and documentation of the training and development needs of universities and colleges. Working in close collaboration with the Gambia’s Ministry of Higher Education, the IAUP President promised to make available free of charge multidisciplinary scholarships at graduate and post graduate levels for Gambian students to study in the Caucasus University in Georgia as well as in other universities and colleges all over the world who are affiliated with the IAUP.
Dr. Shengelia also officially extended an invitation to the Vice President and the MoHERST Minister to visit his native Republic of Georgia and Caucasus University.
