PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar attended a University of Guyana (UG) 50th anniversary caucus yesterday afternoon during which he called for an end to the politics that is trying to ruin the image of what is supposed to be the country’s premier tertiary institution.

President Donald Ramotar delivering remarks at the University of Guyana’s 50th Anniversary caucus yesterday.

‘GENESIS: THE CONVERSATION’: The University of Guyana (UG) yesterday marked 50 years since the institution opened its doors for classes, and the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee hosted a conversation style symposium in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) on the Turkeyen campus of the nation’s only university. This symposium which was titled ‘Genesis: The Conversation’ was the first of 12 planned for the year and focused on the very early history of the university. In photo, President Donald Ramotar (centre), Education Minister Priya Manickchand (fourth from left) and Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi (third from right) pose for a photo with the five panel members, from left, Mr. Navin Chanderpaul, Sister Mary Noel Menezes, Mr. Joseph Holder, Ms. Yvonne Stephenson and Mr. Phillip Allsopp. (Adrian Narine photos)

Members of the panel engaging in the conversation style symposium about their time at UG. Also in photo are moderators and students of the university Sherod Duncan (left) and Sara Bharrat (right).

The audience at the conversation style symposium in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) on the Turkeyen campus yesterday.

FOUNDER OF UG
He alluded to the very important role played by Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who was one of the founding members of the PPP, and founder of UG.
The Head of State spoke about Dr. Jagan’s role in preparing Guyana to be an independent state and his examination of what human resources were available for the construction of the new society that he envisaged.

President Donald Ramotar delivering remarks at the event yesterday.

EQUAL ACCESS
And he acknowledged that his government has a lot of work to do, which they have already started at the level of the central government, including laying the basis for equal access to education for all Guyanese.
He pointed out that Guyana has already achieved Universal Primary Education and is not far away from having Universal Secondary Education, which is a part of the dream to have persons even in the remotest areas in Guyana access equal educational opportunities and equal access to job opportunities.
The Head of State further stated that technology must  be used to create virtual classrooms so that persons in the remotest part of the country can have access to education online.
He said that they need to dream big to realise many of the goals that generations have set, and persons need to take a hard look at the requirements for national development in Guyana and the UG should be tuned into that.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Ramotar stressed that more emphasis must be placed on science and technology, and efforts have to be made to address the shortage of some technical skills and other areas in which they are lacking, such as the managerial area.
He wished the UG administration all the best and also advised students not to take their studies for granted but to do their best and study hard to ensure that they become the best in their respective area of  studies.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand in her address to the audience gathered for the occasion read a speech which was written by then Premier Dr. Jagan on the 1st October, 1963 for the inauguration of the University of Guyana.
In that speech, Dr. Jagan spoke about the importance of the establishment of the university, and the trying times in which this was done.
He also spoke about the establishment of the institution being a symbol of the government’s determination to satisfy the earnest aspiration of the Guyanese people.
Dr. Jagan in his speech wrote about educational development in Guyana, including teacher training and the consolidation and improvement of the system to meet the needs of the Guyanese people.
Manickchand noted that Dr. Jagan was a visionary and laid out a plan and a commitment to this university, and the party which he formed is now in government.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making the university what it was first envisioned to be, and asked all stakeholders to reflect on the people who brought the university to where it is, to honour them by making sure they do what they can to transform Guyana so that these timeless principles laid out in the first speech by Dr. Jagan can be realised.

PRODUCING A PRESIDENT
University of Guyana Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, in his brief remarks on the occasion, highlighted that very few national universities can say that they have produced a President.
According to him, the university will have a garden with names of persons who have accomplished so much, and are UG graduates, and President Ramotar’s name will be in that garden.
Opadeyi said that starting a university is not an easy endeavour, and when they reflect over the 50 years it can be concluded that it was a very fruitful exercise.
Also present at the event were Mexican Ambassador to Guyana, Francisco Olguin and PPP Chief Whip and Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira and members of staff and students of the university.