20,000 books for Gambia University Professor Nyang pledges by Lamin Jatta Head, Education desk Dr Sulayman Nyang, a Gambian professor at the Howard University in the US has pledged to donate 20,000 books from his personal library to the University of The Gambia (UTG). Prof Nyang, who is the head of African Studies at the Howard University made this pledge last Thursday at a reception organised in his honour by the vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia. Speaking at the reception Prof Nyang said, "I think the University of The Gambia has a humble beginning but like a mustard seed that is planted and cultivated properly, it could very well develop into a massive hope tree and there will be many birds building their nests on this tree. Those of you who are actively involved in helping plant, water and cultivate this seed of potential academic development in this country will be remembered by future generations of Gambians, Africans and human beings from the other parts of the world." Prof Nyang said the missing link in the Gambian education structure had always been the university and this had created the condition for Gambians to go abroad to acquire higher education. "This institution can help Gambians process data connecting with their past; the society at the moment is very oral and because of that much of its history is going through the historical shift and unless the oral history is transcribed and processed at a higher and more sophisticated level like the university, Gambians will not be enriched by serious social science analysis of the historical experience," Prof Nyang warned. Speaking earlier, the vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia, Prof Donald Ekong said one of the assignment of his administration was to look for Gambian academics abroad and to solicit advice and assistance from them as well as "try to interest them on what is happening at home and if possible bring them back home." Both Dr Tejan Sallah of the World Bank and Momodou Darboe of Shepherd University currently on a sabbatical leave with the UTG expressed happiness at the establishment of the Gambia University. Prof Nyang is the head of a team of American teachers who visited The Gambia last week. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------