The University of The Gambia’s Participation, Experience, and Challenges in the Global Understanding Project

Authors

  • Cajetan Ifeanyi Nnaocha University of The Gambia

Abstract

This article reflects on the University of The Gambia's participation, experience, success story, and challenges in the Global Understanding (GU) project initiated by East Carolina University (ECU) in 2003 (Chia, Poe, & Yang, 2011). The University of The Gambia (UTG) has been a member of the GU project since 2004 and their participation has been one of immense benefits, which are worth sharing. This article is based on my practical experience of the GU project and its umbrella organization, Global Partners in Education (GPE) at The UTG and on feedback from UTG students who have participated in the project. Reflecting on our experience in the GU project will bring to the fore the unique nature of UTG being situated in a developing country with few infrastructures. This article will serve as an incentive for improving on their successes and confronting our challenges to create a better participation in the GU project in the near future. The writer argues that to thrive in today's globalized learning environment, students need to complement their academic and career learning with the international skills that will allow them to understand and work in a global community.  Globalization of education has become a means to an end (Nayyar, 2011).

Author Biography

Cajetan Ifeanyi Nnaocha, University of The Gambia

Senior Lecturer in the School of Arts and Sciences, University of The Gambia. He had his MA in African History from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Currently pursuing his doctorate degree at St. Clements University, British West Indies. He has teaching experience spanning over 18 years and co-ordinates the Distance Learning of his University. His areas of research interest include Colonial Legacies, Nation Building, International Boundaries, etc. He can be reached at cnnaocha@utg.edu.gm.

Published

2012-04-19

Issue

Vol. 2, No. 1, April 2012

Section

General-NoTitle

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