Sir Ronald Sanders installed as UG’s 11th Chancellor

Feb 14, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Sir Ronald Sanders was officially installed as the 11th Chancellor of the University of Guyana during a ceremony held on Friday at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre on the Turkeyen Campus.

The installation ceremony was attended by Irfaan Ali, Mark Phillips, Sonia Parag, other members of the Cabinet, and senior university officials, including Pro-Chancellor Professor Randolph Persaud and Vice-Chancellor Paloma Mohamed.

In his inaugural address, Sir Ronald expressed gratitude to the university council for selecting him to serve as chancellor and thanked the government for endorsing the council’s decision.

“I accept the office as chancellor of the University of Guyana with humility but with a clear sense of duty,” he said. “Universities exist to prepare a society for the world it is entering. Each of the chancellors who preceded me understood the importance of that fundamental truth. I am deeply conscious that I follow an impressive line of former chancellors. I shall endeavour to emulate the vision, integrity and public service that marked their example.”

He underscored the university’s critical role in Guyana’s national and international development, noting that it must remain central to the country’s economic transformation.

“In today’s world, knowledge is not an ornament of development, it is its engine. Capital is mobile, technology is transferable, natural resources are finite, but a skilled, adaptive and critically minded population is the only sustainable advantage that nations retain,” he stated.

Sir Ronald emphasised that as artificial intelligence reshapes work, governance and production, the university must ensure that Guyanese are not passive consumers of technology but confident creators and innovators. He also noted that at a time when Guyana’s sovereignty is being tested in international legal forums, the university’s role in cultivating knowledge, confidence and national clarity is essential.

“If Guyana is to prosper beyond boom cycles, avoid uneven growth and reduce reliance on imported expertise, if it is to translate opportunity into broad-based national advancement, then the University of Guyana must sit at the very centre of that national project,” he said.

President Ali congratulated the new chancellor on his appointment and oath of office, describing him as a seasoned leader with deep regional and international experience. “Sir Ron is no stranger to this region’s development process. He is no stranger to the world of academia, to diligent work, or to transforming institutions,” the president said.

The head of state also stressed the importance of maintaining high standards as the university advances its free education initiative. He cautioned that programmes offered must align with Guyana’s development priorities.

“Sometimes we can get carried away into thinking that free education means the delivery of every form of education or every programme we may wish to offer. But our education must be matched to the national agenda,” he stated.

President Ali said Sir Ronald assumes the role at a pivotal time in the university’s history, as Guyana experiences heightened economic transformation. He noted that the country requires a strong national university capable of producing highly trained and skilled graduates across all disciplines to propel and sustain development.

“The University of Guyana is extremely fortunate to count him as its 11th Chancellor. I have no doubt that he will provide enlightened leadership, wise counsel and distinguished guardianship to this institution,” the president added.

Former Chancellor Professor John Edward Greene also delivered remarks at the ceremony. Reflecting on his tenure and the progress made during his leadership, he expressed gratitude for having contributed to the university’s advancement.

He encouraged the university community to extend the same cooperation and sense of purpose to the new chancellor.

“To the university community, I ask that you accord your new leader the same unwavering cooperation and sense of purpose that sustained me. With a heart full of gratitude and looking to the future, I feel and see that the best days of this national university are yet to come,” he said.

A former visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, Sir Ronald holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex, and has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of the West Indies and an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Guyana. He has served as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, and as Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto. He was Rapporteur of a Special Committee appointed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London on the future of the Commonwealth Institute and was an elected member of the Executive Board of UNESCO.

Internationally, Sir Ronald is among the Caribbean’s most accomplished diplomats. He currently serves as Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States, and has served an unprecedented three terms as President of its Permanent Council.

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• Chancellor, Sir. Ronald Sanders, Turkeyen Campus, University of Guyana

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