UTG sends students to China Youth Summer Camp 2026
By Ebrima Fadera
Edited by Mutiu Olawuyi
The University of The Gambia has officially sent off two outstanding students selected to represent the university and the country at the Youth Development for a Shared Future Summer Camp 2026 in the People’s Republic of China.
The farewell meeting was hosted by the Vice Chancellor of the University of The Gambia, Professor Herbert Robinson, in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at UTG.
The selected students are Mariama Bajie, an Economics student from the School of Business and Public Administration, and Sohna Bittaye, a Biology student from the School of Arts and Sciences.
Both students earned their places through exceptional performance in the Mandarin language programme offered by the Confucius Institute at UTG.
The farewell ceremony was attended by the Director of the Confucius Institute at UTG, the Confucius Institute Coordinator and representatives of the International Relations Office. Their presence underscored UTG’s growing commitment to international education, student mobility and cross-cultural learning.
During the week-long programme in China, Bajie and Bittaye will join more than 80 young leaders from 16 countries for an immersive experience focused on intercultural dialogue, global youth collaboration, innovation, educational excellence and China’s cultural heritage.
Their selection is not only a personal achievement. It also reflects the expanding impact of the Confucius Institute’s Mandarin programme at UTG and the university’s wider effort to prepare Gambian students for global academic and professional spaces.
For The Gambia, international student exchange is more than travel. It is an investment in confidence, language skills, diplomacy, innovation and cultural literacy. When young Gambians engage with peers from other countries, they return with broader perspectives that can strengthen their communities, institutions and national development.
The selection of an Economics student and a Biology student also shows the value of language learning beyond one academic discipline. Mandarin is not only useful for students of language or culture. It can support future work in business, science, public administration, health, diplomacy, research and technology.
The university said the students’ participation further reinforces ongoing efforts to introduce Mandarin as a minor programme, allowing students to formally study the language as part of their academic curriculum.
Congratulating the students, Professor Robinson urged them to serve as exemplary ambassadors of both the University of The Gambia and the nation. He encouraged them to embrace every learning opportunity while showcasing Gambian values, culture and excellence on the international stage.
The message is important. Students who travel abroad under the banner of their university carry more than passports. They carry the hopes of their families, the reputation of their institution and the image of their country.
As Bajie and Bittaye depart for China, their journey represents the promise of education that crosses borders. It also shows how partnerships between universities, cultural institutions and international programs can open doors for young people whose talents deserve global exposure.
The send-off therefore stands as a celebration of achievement, but also as a reminder that The Gambia’s future will be strengthened when its young people are equipped to learn from the world and contribute back home.
