Teesside strengthens Gambian twinning partnership

A team of five from the University of the Gambia visited Teesside to develop and share ideas for a tourism and hospitality management degree.

Their visit was funded through our British Council Educational Partnerships in Africa Award.

Teesside has an established link with the University of the Gambia, initiated by Jane Mackenzie, one of the University’s international representatives. Jane used to teach in the Gambia and the Gambian President, Yahya A J J Jammeh, is one of her former students. The President is also the University of the Gambia’s Chancellor.

In 2009 Teesside donated 2,000 surplus books from the University’s library and 87 personal computers from the School of Computing. And recently staff from the School of Social Sciences & Law donated 20 boxes of their own books for the University’s library, which is currently being refurbished. The University of the Gambia has around 2,000 students, mainly on full-time sponsored courses and is planning to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

During their Teesside visit the Gambian lecturers, who teach in both the School of Social Sciences and the School of Business and Public Administration:

> took part in curriculum development for the proposed BA degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management > joined student placements > took part in personal development planning workshops.

The knowledge from these activities will be used to finalise the proposal for a May 2010 validation event, with a view to submit for approval by the University of The Gambia Senate. The first cohort will begin their studies in August.

The first of its kind Charles Ebere, Departmental Coordinator, International Collaborations and Exchanges, is co-ordinating the programme on behalf of the University of the Gambia.

He said: 'The degree will be the first of its kind back in the Gambia, as we are still a very young University. Tourism is a leading industry back home but we don’t have the skilled degree holding staff, as such hotels employ senior managers from other nationalities.

'This degree can train Gambians and also be a cost saving measure in the long run. We are very aware and grateful of the relationship that Teesside University has with us and we hope this collaboration will continue, for example the British Council funding will enable Teesside staff to teach in the Gambia.'

Dr Dave Morland, International Development Co-ordinator for the School of Social Sciences & Law at Teesside, has been on two British Council sponsored visits to the University of the Gambia.

He said: 'This is very much a twinning arrangement between Teesside and the Gambia, similar to the twinning arrangements between the UK’s towns and cities and their equivalents abroad.

'We’re delighted to welcome the team to the University for the first time and to have an input into this degree, which may prove pioneering for the Gambian economy.'

---