- Jagdeo

President Bharrat Jagdeo has committed to pumping more financial resources into the University of Guyana but only if he is convinced that its students are not being shortchanged.

“If I can be convinced that UG is seriously addressing the issue of quality, government will put more money into it. I will not do so in the context where the people who go there are shortchanged,” Jagdeo told reporters on Thursday.

Mid last month Professor Lawrence Carrington met the media and underlined these as some of his immediate objectives. He acknowledged too the need for infrastructural enhancement of the university, a changed governance system and effective quality assurance systems to not only increase the international standing of the university but also to make its graduates more valuable.

Government has since asked the University of the West Indies (UWI) to assist the local university with upgrading the standards. UWI Professor Nigel Harris who is critical to this process told reporters on Thursday that the goal is to first work with government on issues on quality. He too pointed to infrastructure as an area where assistance is needed.

Harris, a Guyanese, said the regional university also sees much opportunity for research at UG which would be relevant to development within Guyana as well as of mutual benefit to the rest of the Caribbean.

In this regard he referred to agriculture, forestry, bio-diversity, water management and the environment as potential areas.

Harris told reporters that a first step would definitely be a reassessment of the offerings of the university and ensuring there is indeed a system that enables quality assurance.

He said it was customary for universities to undergo ongoing reviews of what is being taught to ensure that world standards are met, and this was also necessary for UG.

He also suggested that there would have to be an investment in resources by the Government of Guyana. “However I think when they are confident where things are going they will be satisfied that this is what is needed,” he said.

He pointed to the medical programme at UG which has since been accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Council in Medicine, as a major development.

He said he believes that over time the quality of UG could be enhanced and was very optimistic that this could be attained under the stewardship of Professor Carrington who is highly respected in the regional academic field.