The second batch of 25 Gambian students on Saturday left for Taipei, Taiwan, to begin a degree programme in Information and Communication Technology at the National Taipei University of Technology.

Some 18 other Gambian students who received ICDF (International Cooperation and Development Fund) and diplomatic scholarships also left for Taipei, accompanied by one of the senior officials at the Gambia National Petroleum Company. These students will undergo masters and PhD programmes at the various universities in Taiwan.

Few weeks before their departure, the students underwent an induction exercise at the Offices of the Gambia National Petroleum Company in Kanifing, before they were hosted to a dinner at the residence of the Taiwanese plenipotentiary in Banjul.

Dr Patrick Chang, Taiwan’s Ambassador to The Gambia, implored on the students to pursue their academic work with the spirit of unwavering diligence in order to become successful in their programmes. Ambassador Chang urged the students to measure up to the challenges in an effort to bear the fruit of their programmes and leave an indelible legacy of hard work for future batches to emulate.

According to him, the dispatch of the students runs to lay a solid foundation for the realisation of the Silicon Vision, initiated by President Yahya Jammeh.

Officials of the Department of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, and the Department of State for Communications and Information Technology, have urged the students not to relent in their efforts to ensure that the best is squeeze out of their programme in order to participate effectively in the national development processes.

Currently, the first batch of 25 Gambian students is undergoing a four-year programme in petro-chemical engineering at the National Taipei University of Technology.