By Amadou Manjang
A thesis written by a Gambian student of the International Open University (IOU), Mr. Muhammed Sonko, has earned “international acceptance” at Journal of Islamic Finance (JIF), an official publication of IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
[A thesis or dissertation is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author’s research and findings.]
Sonko’s 44-page thesis, tiled ‘Customer’s Perception on Islamic Banking’, was supervised by Dr. Nissar Ahmad. The research paper looks at the perception of customers on Islamic banking in the Gambia.
The IOU student completed a 4-year Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Program in Islamic Banking and Finance, and is currently working at the country’s apex bank- Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG).
Meanwhile, the online University recently convened in a press conference to celebrate Sonko’s outstanding performance.
IOU is an online education university, but it runs offline courses like Intensive English Course for those who want to study English language.
The president of IOU, Dr. Cherno Barry (Ph.D), in highlighting the significance of such performance, opined that the IOU could lead the education in the Gambia; stressing also that “Africa cannot develop without education”.
He said IOU provides quality education to the people like any convention university, noting their online platform is an opportunity for many people to have access to education.
The IOU official went on to note that, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the significance of distance learning and that “online education is evolving”.
Dr. Barry told the gathering that IOU aims to change the nation through education, maintaining that it could be compared to any other conventional university in the Gambia. .
He intimated: “We now have to bring education for you. You don’t have to go and look for it.”
In her remarks, Ms. Isatou B. Secka, Assistant Registrar of the IOU, hailed Sonko’s work as a great achievement for IOU.
