UGBC holds 2025 convocation ceremony

… brings down curtains for UG’s 59th convocation

From its opening convocation on November 20, to its final on December 6, 2025, the University of Guyana (UG) celebrated its largest graduating class in history, with 3,600 students from across the Turkeyen and Berbice Campuses formally conferred during six Convocation Ceremonies. On Saturday, the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC), which recently celebrated 25 years since it first opened its doors on November 6, 2000 with an initial intake of 150 students, hosted the final graduating ceremony of UG’s 59th Convocation. Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin hailed the Class of 2025 as the university’s most resilient cohort, noting that they were shaped by the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 era and are among the first to graduate under full institutional accreditation and state-funded tuition. She commended the graduates, their families, lecturers and support staff for their perseverance and contributions to UG’s continued growth, adding that the Class of 2025 now enters a vibrant alumni network. The ceremony also featured virtual presentations from both the Minister of Education and President Dr Irfaan Ali, who delivered powerful messages underscoring the national significance of this year’s graduating class. The Minister reminded graduates that their academic journey marked by sacrifice, resilience and determination, represents not only personal achievement but also a national investment in Guyana’s future. She applauded parents, lecturers and staff for supporting the graduates and urged the class to lead with integrity as Guyana undergoes rapid development driven by new industries and emerging opportunities. Meanwhile, President Ali, in his address, emphasised that Guyana’s transformation is not powered by oil, but by people, stressing that free tertiary education is a major step in building a modern, knowledge-driven society. He called on graduates to embrace lifelong learning, noting that the greatest skill in a changing world is the ability to keep learning, keep adapting and keep growing, as they prepare to shape a globally competitive and technologically advanced Guyana.

Valedictorian
Valedictorian Rajendra Deonarine, a 30-year-old teacher, mentor, musician and skilled carpenter, used his address to reflect on the personal journey that shaped him and the collective triumph of the graduating class. He spoke proudly of his humble beginnings as the eldest child of a carpenter and a home operations manager, noting that every role he has played, whether in the classroom, the workshop, or in music, helped define his purpose of uplifting others.
Deonarine reminded graduates that their growth came in small steps, through challenges that tested their strength, joking that his own battles with physical chemistry sometimes felt like “training for the Olympics of confusion.” He expressed deep gratitude to his lecturers, whose guidance and acts of kindness shaped his academic journey and supervision pushed him to excellence. The Skeldon Line Path Secondary School teacher, called the graduation ceremony a moment of reflection as they step into a new chapter.

Visually impaired graduates
Among those graduating also were Lata Devi Jagmohan and Omesh Jhagroo, two visually impaired persons. Jagmohan, who was the best graduating student with a Bachelors of Social Science in Social Work, described her journey as one marked by uncertainty, courage, and technological adaptation. She credited screen-reading tools such as JAWS and her lecturers’ willingness to format course materials in accessible ways, for enabling her to complete her programme successfully. “What is success without a challenge?” she said, explaining that despite difficulties accessing some resources, with the encouragement of peers and supporters, she persisted. She urged prospective students not to fear pursuing higher education, reminding them that “limitations should never dictate what we believe we can achieve.” Her classmate Omesh Jhagroo, who is completely blind, also shared his remarkable path to earning a degree in Social Work.

Jhagroo, who lost his sight at age 25 due to Uveitis, said he chose social work to help advocate for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups. He highlighted the role of assistive technology, accessible mobile features, and training he received through the Blindness Unit and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), that helped him navigate university life. Despite challenges using platforms like Moodle and Zoom initially, he adapted over time and credited his wife, parents, extended family and community for sustaining him. “Five years ago, I never imagined graduating from the University of Guyana,” he said, adding that losing his sight taught him strength, resilience and purpose. He encouraged others living with disabilities to pursue their goals boldly, saying, “Disability does not hinder you, it gives you more strength to move forward.”
Meanwhile, as UGBC prepares to expand through new research institutes and enhanced academic offerings under “Blueprint 2040,” the 2025 ceremony stood as a powerful testament to perseverance, equality of access, and national development.
UGBC has grown into a multi-faceted academic hub, offering more than 32 diploma and degree programmes across agriculture, education and humanities, natural sciences, business, medical sciences and social sciences, supported by a student population of nearly 1,200. The campus is also expanding its research footprint through the newly established Institute for Marine and Riverine Ecologies and Economies (IMAREE), which is expected to bolster national development through scientific exploration of Guyana’s riverine and coastal systems. From Government commitment to free university education to inspiring personal stories of triumph, the convocation affirmed that higher learning in Guyana is not only thriving, but transforming lives and communities across the country.