Texila American University convocation

Nov 26, 2015 News

---

Nigerian is best graduating medical student

A Nigerian was the Best Graduating Student as seven dentistry surgeons, 20 doctors of medicine and one nurse graduated from the Texila American University Guyana last evening. The ceremony was held

at the Princess Hotel.
After four years of studies, the Best Graduating Student, Chinedu Joseph Asigebu, 30, dubbed the occasion a momentous one after a very difficult journey that proved worthwhile in the end.
The son of an Attorney and a teacher said that during his course of study he lost his mother, last year, and dedicated his academic achievements to her.
Speaking for the graduates drawn mostly from Nigeria and India (there was one Guyanese graduate among them) he said, “The challenges were many for us as students but we kept the faith and exercised patience and today we are glad that it has come to an end.”
The second best graduating student is Indian national George Scaria.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, performing the duties of President, congratulated all the graduates. He expressed the hope that many of them, after the appropriate accreditation processes, would remain in Guyana, to live out their vows and sacred commitment to duty and service.
Commending the dedication and sacrifice of the students and their families, and the dogged perseverance and steadfast commitment to academic excellence by the University’s leadership and staff, Prime Minister Nagamootoo recognized the high level of scholarship produced by the university. He paid tribute to the University’s President, Saaju Bhaskar, the Vice-Chancellor and his Management/Teaching Team.
The students left their homes, thousands of miles away, to come to a foreign land to undertake studies in the demanding programme, he said.
“It could not have been easy. In spite of any challenges that you might have encountered, you nonetheless would have found our country welcoming and our people hospitable.

“Together, this would have contributed immensely, towards making these past years not just bearable but rather enjoyable and rewarding.”
Singling out the students from Nigeria, who took the initiative to form an Association and to organize several cultural activities, thereby not only keeping close to heart their rich culture and traditions, but also sharing them with Guyanese with whom they share ancestry, Nagamootoo noted: “The established presence of a private Medical University in Guyana, is further evidence of open partnership in both the health and education sectors.”
While it is easy to say that private-public partnership is in Guyana to stay he told the gathering that he is aware that the university in past years faced problems associated with Government bureaucracy and red-tapes and non-responsiveness to requests for concessions to expand.
“Yet it moved from a school of only seven students to an enrollment of 450 from over 38 countries, all of whom live and study in Guyana.”
Of that lot 120 are Guyanese nationals, who benefit from a 50 per cent concession and who, in time, would join the ranks of the medical profession in Guyana.
The University is working towards realizing a new campus. The PM said that such a move is first education-tourism initiative – in Guyana, with a capacity to accommodate over 1,600 students.
“This will certainly give a boost both to Guyana’s economy and the country’s reputation in the international community as a health-educational centre.
“I applaud this bold and innovative venture. The government of Guyana recognizes the benefits of such   an investment.  It would allow for the expansion of quality medical education and research, at a time when our own Medical Faculty at the University of Guyana has been allowed to decline in academic standards that are necessary for recognition as an institution for medical education.”
TAU is filling a void for certifiable medical education as it has graduated as doctors of medicine the first batch who survived the rigorous demands of academia.
Nagamootoo expressed regret from President David Granger who is currently in Malta, to share in the historic and auspicious occasion, when the first batch of students is graduating with their Doctor of Medicine Degrees from Texila American University (TAU).
Saaju Bhaskar, as Founder of TAU was also informed that the President has assured that he would, at a convenient date, accept the offer of conferral of an Honorary Doctorate from the Central University of Nicaragua, a partner university.
The Prime Minister was also awarded a certificate for excellence in Public Service. The University hopes to commission its new University Campus in Providence before its next graduation. Also addressing the gathering were Minister within The Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry, and the University’s President as well as the Vice Chancellor.

---

---