‘UG has emboldened you to go into the world and to speak your truth’ – Vice-Chancellor Mohamed tells largest-ever graduating class

“The University of Guyana [UG] has emboldened you to go into the world and to speak your truth, act your integrity, move your world, lift others, and live and create the lives you want to have.” So said, UG’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed in her congratulatory message to the Class of 2021.

At almost 2,700 strong, this is the 59-year-old university’s largest class to date. This milestone is being celebrated through the second hosting of a series of virtual graduation ceremonies, which commenced on Friday and will run until Saturday.
This is the 55th convocation for UG’s Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown Campus, and 20th for its other campus at Tain, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
In a year when many students struggled to reach the finish line, and were forced to adapt to virtual learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university’s principal told the graduates that their success story is an inspiration to others.
“Somewhere out there, there is someone who is watching you, someone who is thinking, ‘If he or she could do this, maybe I can too’.”
She reminded the graduands of the university’s fourth aspiration goal; that is: it should be a model for the nation, not only in terms of technical proficiency, but also when it comes to the way they behave, their deportment, relations, the way they handle problems, manage themselves, and of course integrity and morality.
Emphasising that UG is a “people university”, the Vice-Chancellor noted that it is funded by taxpayers, and has allowed many persons whose parents never acquired a tertiary education to have one. According to her, some of the graduates came from far-flung places, and had a difficult time adjusting to Guyana/Georgetown. Notwithstanding, she applauded them for persevering; showing resilience, grit, determination, and proving others wrong.
She told them that UG has prepared them for advancing and doing brighter, greater, bigger, and more important things.
“And don’t believe that important things are the things that get highlighted across big screens and in the newspapers,” she added, while pointing out that, oftentimes, important things never get noticed by anyone except a few important people.

“Those are likely the things that change people’s lives for the better; and, in fact, change entire countries. And when entire countries change, the planet that we live on changes.
“We hope that the University of Guyana has emboldened you to go into the world and to speak your truth, act your integrity, move your world, lift others, and to live and create the lives you want to have,” said Professor Mohamed.
She expressed the hope that the Class of 2021 would impact the people they meet positively. “May you succeed in every single thing that you do. May you live a life of grace, of beauty, and of positivity, and may everyone who comes across your path leaves you feeling better, bigger, greater, hopeful. God bless you!” she said.
The University of Guyana offers 136 programmes in over 60 disciplines online, and face-to-face in 8 campuses across Guyana. With a student population of now 10,000, UG has provided education, learning, and research for over 50,000 alumni.
Its mission is to discover, generate, disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community, the nation, and of all mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom that allows for free and critical inquiry.