UG central to fulfilling green state agenda – President
President David Granger outlining the Green State Agenda and UG’s role in contributing to the realisation of its fulfilment
President David Granger outlining the Green State Agenda and UG’s role in contributing to the realisation of its fulfilment

THE University of Guyana (UG) remains an important institution in helping the state to fulfil its green state agenda, currently being advanced by the government.

This was according to President David Granger on Monday during the opening of the institution’s inaugural Diaspora Engagement Conference, which was held at Princess Ramada Hotel, Providence. The one-week conference is being hosted by the institution with the aim of building a mutually- beneficial relationship with the diaspora.

With over 243 participants registered to attend, the Conference will attract persons from more than 12 countries spanning four continents.

Central to the engagements, is not only the contribution of the diaspora to the university or vice versa, but the contribution of the university to the country.

Some of the participants at the opening of UG’s inaugural Diaspora Engagement Conference

Examining the contributions the country’s premier tertiary institution could play in national development, was the Head-of-State, whose speech focused on the Green State Development Agenda.

Guyana’s green state agenda seeks to push the country along a developmental pathway. That development agenda seeks to promote an increase in investment in: biodiversity management; coastal zone management; solid waste management; ecological and environmental services; eco-education and eco-tourism; information and communication technology (ICT); and the generation of renewable energy.

The President referenced the fact that Guyana, which is located at the centre of the Guiana shields – one of the world’s last remaining track of virgin rainforest – is rich in bio-diversity. He noted that the country’s assets must be protected for mankind and for the sustainable development of countries which belong to the shield.

As of 2010, this country’s boasted 8000 plant species; 467 species of fish; 130 amphibians; 179 reptiles; 814 birds; 225 mammals; 1,673 anthropoids; 1,200 fungi; 33 bacteria; 17 moss; and 30 viruses. In addition, the country possesses natural capital which ranges from the islands of the Essequibo, to the lowlands and hinterlands, to its spectacular rapids.

Despite possessing these “natural capital,” President Granger was keen to note that Guyana is “deficient” in the physical infrastructure essential for economic development – in the form of aerodromes, bridges, highways, housing, deep-water ports and stellings.

He said that the country’s coastal and riverine defenses, conservancies and draining and irrigation systems must be repaired and maintained consistently in order to protect human habitation from the effects of climate change.

And to achieve this, he noted that, “UG is central to fulfilling the scientific and technological objectives which the green state requires.”

According to the Head-of-State, the country’s premier tertiary institution must drive the intellectual processes and bring development by becoming the incubator of technology and the nurturer of skills and talent.

Further, he said that it must establish institutions to educate students to advance the green state development such as the biodiversity centre, while more Guyanese need to be trained in zoology, biology, engineering, technology, geology and agriculture.

The achievement of these, he said, will be the institution’s second scientific and technological shift – with the first being in the 1970s after the country had achieved republican status.

He recalled that at that time, the university attracted and employed lecturers from around the world, while expanding breadth of its programmes to include agriculture, education, earth and environmental sciences, fisheries, the natural sciences and social sciences, and technology.

“In spite of its financial and material constraints then, the university provided opportunity for thousands of Guyanese who never before dreamt of acquiring tertiary education,” the President old hundreds of attendees.

Speaking at the opening of the Conference also, was Vice-Chancellor of UG, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, who hinted at the establishment of a diaspora engagement centre.

Building on this conference, Professor Griffith shared that: “We plan also to launch a centre for regional diaspora engagement that can take the work started here, forward”.

He said that the centre, once established, will host every two years, a conference that will bring Guyanese and the diaspora to their homeland to have engagements.

The VC further stated that one of the objectives of that centre will be to find a way to establish and manage a talent database. He explained that the database will contain information about who in the diaspora has what interest or skill, who wants to contribute, and will provide facilitation of those contributions.

“We plan not only to say we’re interested in diaspora, we plan to demonstrate by having a work programme that takes this conference into the future going from strength to strength” he added.

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