BA in Mashramani?

Dear Editor,

In my frequent trips abroad I usually relieve the boredom of long hours in confined spaces by reading and writing; during my current trip (31/10/17) I have just read the report in the Trinidad Guardian titled: “Sweet Success” which pictorially featured the Graduates of the UWI St Augustine Campus, impressively dressed in the typical Graduation gowns & caps.

My attention was particularly drawn to the graduate (Omari Ashby) as he received from the Vice Chancellor (Prof. Hillary Beckles) a “First Class Honours BA in Carnival Studies”. I spent much time contemplating this rather unusual academic foray as, for me at least, it represented a ground-breaking innovation.

I now wonder if we might soon have our own University of Guyana graduating people with Honours Degrees in various cultural celebrations such as, for example: BA in Mashramani or BSc in Phagwah; even if we do, I hope and pray that they will not predate an Honours Degree in Oil Studies so that we can have qualified Guyanese grounded in the petroleum field to oversee our growing interest in this vital sector.

Yours faithfully,

Nowrang Persaud