The Republic of China embassy in the Republic of the Gambia last week honored the recipients of this year’s Taiwan Defense Scholarship Program during a farewell ceremony organized at Embassy Hall in Bakau.
Three Gambians, Lieutenant-Colonel Salieu Dem, Cadet Officer Modou Jallow and Cadet Officer Basady Gassama, will head to Taiwan to pursue their studies, the Today newspaper reported on Tuesday. Dem will take army command and staff college courses at National Defense University, while Jallow and Gassama will pursue bachelor degrees at the Navy Academy and at the Air Force Academy respectively.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador to Gambia Richard Shih (石瑞琦) said the scholarship program aimed to develop human resources, cultivate military leadership and promote military cooperation and ties between Taiwan and its allies.
COMMITMENT
The program, he said, shows Taipei’s commitment to working with the Gambian government for peace and security.
The command and staff college program is a one-year military professional program for senior officers, Shih said, with courses focusing on service tactics, joint operations, military science and theory, staff skills and leadership.
The military colleges are specifically designed for the army, navy and air force respectively. All offer four-year undergraduate programs.
NOT THE FIRST
Shih said that under the defense scholarship program, six Gambian military personnel were already studying in Taiwan, with three cadets in the army academy, one in the naval academy, another in the air force academy and one general officer in the War College, the paper said.
He then went on to advise the students to work hard during their courses because the training is not easy.
Harry Sambou, permanent secretary of the Gambian Ministry of Defense, said he was delighted the Gambian students in Taiwan were all doing very well in their courses, the Today said.
Gambian Deputy Chief of Defense Staff Major General Ousman Badjie thanked Taiwan for giving the Gambian armed forces the opportunity to study in Taiwan.
Aside from its support for the armed forces, Taiwan has been assisting the government of Gambia in many ways ranging from education, agriculture and health, he said.
The scholarship program between Taiwan and Gambia was launched in 2008.
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