Reflections of UG take centre stage at ‘Genesis 1’

Oct 02, 2013 News

Although there has been some talk about the increasing of tuition fee at the University of Guyana, President Donald Ramotar yesterday alluded to the fact that the institution was in fact one that was envisaged many years ago to offer quality but cheap education.
This, according to him, was the vision of now deceased President and founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.
“Having known him all my life he was a man that used to feel the edges of the dollar so he obviously must have been thinking to get quality, but cheap as possible…” said President Ramotar.

The reflective panel discussion in session.

The President’s assertions were forthcoming even as he delivered remarks at a forum held at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre yesterday to mark the 50th anniversary of the University. He told the gathering at the forum titled “Genesis 1” that the University was in fact established when Guyana was experiencing a difficult time in its history.
He expounded that the period was in fact characterised by struggles in terms of local politics by the then opposition as well as with Caribbean leaders. In fact, he noted that the move to establish the local University was visualised to ensure that Guyana was not subjected to the tenets of being a subsidiary of the University of the West Indies (UWI) but rather, an independent institution.
“When in fact Dr Jagan got his first idea of establishing the University is not very clear, but it must have probably been flickering in his mind…but (it) took shape after August 21, 1961….after the general elections,” President Ramotar reflected.
He pointed out that Dr Jagan not only made it his mission to find the appropriate people for the institution, but was determined to only have persons attached to it who saw the development of country as much more important than their own personal development.
It was for this very reason the President asserted that “UWI would not have served the purpose.”
Also giving credence to the role of Dr Jagan in the establishment of the lone national University, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, emphasised that it was his vision to ensure that every child, even those in far-flung areas have an opportunity to reach the highest position in the land. She said that it was Dr Jagan’s view that “the highest positions in our society must no longer be the preserves of the rich and the well born…by bringing university education within the reach of everyone we have laid the foundation for the establishment of democracy.”
According to Manickchand, “Dr Cheddi Jagan was a visionary and laid out a plan and a commitment for this university. The party he formed is in Government presently and we re-state our commitment to making the university education what it was first envisioned.”
And even as the Government officials recognised Dr Jagan as the visionary behind the university, Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, yesterday gave emphasis to the fact that “very few national universities could say that they have produced a president, and we have produced a president.” Professor Opadeyi was at the time alluding to President Ramotar who studied at the local University.
Professor Opadeyi noted that the university will soon be looking to embrace a practice by UWI to have a gallery which displays the names of Prime Ministers who make up its alumni. “We have to have a nice gallery like that with the names of persons who have accomplished… who are graduates of this university…and Mr President your name will be in that gallery.”
However, the various reflective remarks were certainly not the highlight of the forum which was held under the theme “Honouring the Past, Moulding the Present, Transforming the Future.”
A special panel discussion, which saw the likes of Messrs Phillip Allsopp, Joseph Holder and Navin Chandarpal along with Sister Noel Menezes and Ms Yvonne Stephenson, gave insight to the initial planning stages of the university. Each of the panellists shared intriguing reflections with the gathering about the role they played in helping to make the institution what it is today.
The panel discussion, which was moderated by Sherod Duncan, a student of the Department of Law and Sara Bharat, a student of the English Department, represents the first in a series that will be held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the university. The ongoing commemoration activities are being coordinated by Dr Paloma Mohamed who holds the position of Chair of the 50th Anniversary Committee.