The embassy of the Republic of China on Taiwan in Banjul, yesterday awarded a certificate of "excellence" to Kumba Konateh for her outstanding performance after successfully completing her studies at the National Chengchi University in Taiwan.

Kumba recently arrived in the country after pursuing a two-year masters' degree course in Business Administration (MBA), sponsored under the Taiwanese International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF). With a distinction, Kumba is said to have completed her studies in one and a-half-year, 6 months earlier than expected. And most importantly, Kumba came out as the overall best among the entire ICDF students of her year. Having arrived in Taiwan in the academic year 2007/2008, she, like her colleagues, was expected to complete her studies in July 2009, but she completed it in January 2009.

In his statement at the award ceremony, at the office of the Taiwanese Embassy in Kanifing, Ambassador Richard Shih praised Kumba Konateh for her extraordinary achievement. According to him, her performance was no doubt as a result of Gambia government's policy towards education.

Ambassador Shih used the platform to encourage other Gambians to pursue their educational dreams by applying for the scholarships from the Taiwanese ICDF program. He went on to say that Konateh was among nineteen Gambians who were selected to pursue their courses in Taiwan, and that for this year, they are "encouraging many more to apply".

Ambassador Shih then thanked The Gambia government for the excellent achievements it has registered in education in previous years. He also vowed that the Taiwanese government, through its embassy, will ever remain committed to offering such opportunities for Gambians.

In her reaction to the gesture, Kumba Konateh expressed deep feelings for the honour and thanked the embassy for the award. She said that her experience in Taiwan was indeed a good one, as she had the opportunity to deal with "high caliber professors." An elated Konateh thanked the authorities behind the Taiwanese ICDF program, saying that the sponsorship had catered for all her needs during the course of her studies.

She also used the opportunity to encourage other Gambians to pursue their courses in Taiwan, attesting to the fact that the level of education is good. She thanked the Taiwanese government through the embassy for the sponsorship. She would not complete her speech without extending thanks and praises to the government of The Gambia for providing the opportunity for Gambians to benefit from such goodwill gestures.