The Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan, His Excellency Richard Shih, has described education as an important pillar of development of any country.

The Taiwanese diplomat made these remarks last Wednesday at the University of The Gambia where he presented a cheque for $6,000 to the vice chancellor of the university.

He said that education is a very important pillar of development for any country including The Gambia. He stated that if people are educated they can fully contribute towards national development.

He spoke on the various intervention areas that his country is supporting in the area of education in the country. On basic education he said that they have build Majork and Sifoe Senior Secondary schools and are also building an academy in Kanilai. “We are pleased to be also supportive to the President’s Empowerment of Girls Education Policy (PEGEP).”

He revealed that in two weeks time, some 91 Gambian students would be studying in Taiwan thanks to a Taiwanese scholarship.

“It’s worth mentioning that Taiwanese embassy normally provides $6000 to UTG as scholarship for ten needy students annually. We are willing to do our best to maintain our relationship,” he said.