The University of Guyana (UG) on Friday launched its Think Tank initiative which will see players from across the country brainstorming to tackle energy-related issues in Guyana.
A few members of the Think Tank group
At the launch at the Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown Campus, it was explained that the major focus of the group will be on how Guyana, which is becoming a major oil and gas producer, can maintain its pristine environment, energy sustainability and more importantly making Guyana a model energy country.
Think Tank will bring together a number of players from Guyana, both in academics as well as industry experts, to
“think” about the energy problems of the energy future here.
Deputy Vice Chancellor of the tertiary institution, Dr Paloma Mohamed told that the challenge this group has taken on is no easy task.
“It may seem simple but really no other country in the world has been able to achieve it because it’s not the easiest thing to do so for us we’ve brought together these four international players to begin with. There’ll be others who will join us,” she said.
In addition to these persons, people from within the University as well as from the policy spectrum in Guyana and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will be part of this group.
Think Tank intends to soon come up with an agenda which will be shared with the general public. Furthermore, briefings and commentaries will be published to inform the Government on the way forward as recommended by the group.
“We will come out of today with an agenda that we will publish so you will get a note on it on what we are going to do, what steps we are going to take and the media and the public and policymakers will begin to see our briefs so we will be writing and publishing and advising on what we think and how we think this can work and provide that kind of support to pretty much anybody who needs it”, Mohamed further explained.
Five of the main persons who form part of the group are Verlyn Klass; Former Dean of the University, Thomas Singh; Former Head of Department of Chemistry, Patrick Ketwaroo; Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vishal Persaud and Dean Calvin Bernard.
Already the Department of Energy, Department of Environment and the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) have been engaged and will be working along with the newly established group.
UG has also partnered with the Arizona State University from the United States on this venture. Funding for the project is coming from the Trent University of Canada.
Acting Vice-Chancellor for UG, Professor Michael Scott explained the importance of the project that is being undertaken by the University. “I’ve often said that whatever we do, whether it’s oil and gas or whatever we do, beneath, behind, before, beyond and beside what we do are living beings called people and at the end of the day they are the ones who will be impacted upon,” he stated.
