Seventeen hundred and thirty-nine students graduated from the University of Guyana on Saturday, when the institution hosted its 52nd convocation ceremony at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.
At the event, Edmond (Eddy) Grant was conferred with an honorary doctorate for excellence in music and civic engagement; Yesu Persaud was similarly conferred for iconic leadership in business and banking; Jairaj Sobhraj was likewise conferred for excellence in entrepreneurship and philanthropy; and Laura George for outstanding community development and advocacy.
Businessman Yesu Persaud being robed by Vice Chancellor of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith before being conferred his Doctor of Letters from Chancellor of UG, Professor Eon Harris
In presence of the Members of Parliament (MPs), members of the diplomatic corps, the university’s executive body and the graduates, George, in her remarks sparked with gratitude and commitment, renewed promises to assist in these areas to ensure that the rights of the Amerindian people are exercised. Her promise came with a condition that “the University of Guyana commit to strategically and significantly undertake its role as the independent academia to produce correct information on the history of Guyana”.
She went on to say that interventions should be made for indigenous persons who wish to pursue their tertiary education at the University.
“As an advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples, I call for an equitable and accessible scholarship funding for indigenous persons who wish to pursue career opportunities and achieve their dreams,” George said.
For the past years, George has been working to ensure that policies and legislation are in place to protect indigenous rights, primarily in areas that have been crowded by mining activities. Her current projects include the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade, and works for the Guyana Forestry Commission, among other things.
At the three-fold event, the graduating class was also addressed by one of the keynote speakers, Kamal Ramkarran, who graduated in the class of 1997.
His advice to the newly graduated students was to follow their career paths wherever those take them, and never to limit themselves to Guyana only. Additionally, he urged them to take note of what they would’ve learnt through experiences at the University.
“Take all of your opportunities from tomorrow, even the ones we don’t really think are opportunities…Some of you want to do post-graduate studies out of Guyana, and when you finish you studies, the jobs you need will also be there; while some of you just want to see the world.”
Throughout the day, students from the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Education and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the School of Entrepreneurship were awarded by their respective deans. This is the first time the graduation exercise of UG was held in three parts.
