Forty-nine Gambian recipients of Taiwanese scholarships for university programmes, including clinical medicine and civil engineering, were on Tuesday morning, hosted to an orientation at the offices of the Gambia National Petroleum Company, where they were implored to hoist the country’s flag higher during the course of their academic pursuits at the Asian Pacific island state.

Five students received the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan scholarships, 18 received the International Development Cooperation Fund (ICDF) scholarships, 25 received scholarships for the civil engineering elite programme and one received the Ministry of Education scholarship for Mandarin studies.

Speaking at the ceremony, Crispin Grey-Johnson, the secretary of state for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, told students to maintain the good legacy left behind by the first batch of 25 Gambian students who have graduated with degrees in petrochemical engineering.

Describing the event as a milestone, SoS Grey-Johnson implored the students to comport themselves as good ambassadors of The Gambia through their diligence and good behaviour.

The secretary of state touched on the importance President Jammeh attaches to education, as he has been personally sponsoring a number of students to pursue higher education.

He then thanked the Republic of China (Taiwan) for the scholarships, describing the Asian-Pacific island state as the country’s biggest partner in this regard.

Abdoulie Bojang, the secretary of state for Works, Construction and Infrastructure, told the students to take up the challenge with open minds in order to learn more about the wider world.

Reminding the students that they were selected from many, SoS Bojang told the group that they have shouldered a big responsibility, saying that “to whom much is given, much is expected from”.

He also told the students to look up to Taiwan as a model that has undertaken bold initiatives to propel herself as a well developed country within a short period. He urged them to emulate the Taiwanese example and expressed confidence in their ability to excel.

The Works, Construction and Infrastructure SoS paid special attention to the 25 students who will be undertaking the civil engineering programme. He told them to face their programme with resoluteness and unwavering diligence, as the country is in dire need of civil engineers, especially in his department.

Richard Shih, the Taiwanese plenipotentiary to The Gambia, congratulated the students for making it to the final list of beneficiaries for this year’s scholarship package, describing it as the highest number in the history of the pogramme.

 He informed the 49 students, who are billed to leave Banjul soon, that this will bring the total number of Gambian students in Taiwan to about 92, excluding those on short term scholarship programmes.

The ambassador assured them of the commitment of the government of Taiwan to the scholarship programme, saying that “there will be more Gambian students to Taiwan” in the future.

Momodou Badjie, the managing director of GNPC, also spoke at the orientation, while Dr Kebba Bojang, delivered the vote of thanks.