DISTINGUISHED Caribbean academician, Dr Compton Bourne, was installed as Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG) Thursday, in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) on the Turkeyen Campus, East Coast Demerara.

Officers of the University of Guyana at the Installation Ceremony for Chancellor Dr Compton Bourne on stage last Thursday. In photo from left are Registrar Mr. Vincent Alexander, Vice Chancellor Professor Lawrence Carrington, Chancellor Dr Compton Bourne and Pro Chancellor Dr Prem Misir at the Installation ceremony last Thursday.

The ceremony took place two days ahead of today’s 43rd UG Convocation.

In his address at the installation, he noted that a university stands at the pinnacle of a nation’s education system and university education is an investment in human capital, from which there are various benefits to society as a whole.

Bourne said, while it is possible to tally the number of students graduating from a university, what matters is their impact on society after graduation.

He urged the audience to remember the words of Albert Einstein, who said: “Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.”

Bourne noted that, in recent years, UG has repositioned itself to serve the people.

He acknowledged that he is following in big footsteps but will be helped by the wise counsel of one of his predecessors, Sir Shridath Ramphal.

Echoing the sentiments of some present on the occasion, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said UG and, by extension, all of Guyana is fortunate to have a distinguished son of the soil in the person of Bourne as its Chancellor.
HISTORIC MOMENT
The Pro-Chancellor, Dr Prem Misir, said it was a historic moment for the institution as Bourne embodies the needs of UG.

Bourne is a graduate of University of London, University of Birmingham and University of the West Indies (UWI).

Dean of the Faculty of Social Science at UG, Dr Michael Scott, expressed joy at having Bourne at the helm, positing that it was time for UG, as an institution in its 47th year, to forge ahead and enter the 21st century.

Bourne is currently also President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and a former Principal of the UWI St. Augustine Campus.

A respected economist, his career spans the world of academia, public policy and institutional management.

Bourne was once Professor of Economics UWI, between 1981 and 2001 and is now Professor Emeritus of Economics.

His other posts at UWI included Pro-Vice-Chancellor, for Planning and Development (1990 to 1996) and Deputy Principal of the St. Augustine Campus from 1990 to 1993.

Bourne has been an active contributor to public economic policy in the Caribbean, Africa and The Philippines since 1975.

He was awarded Guyana’s highest national honour, the Order of Excellence and is the recipient of numerous other awards for his outstanding contribution to the development of the Caribbean.

Bourne also served as a Director of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, from 1987 to 2000 and is a Fellow of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Past President of the Caribbean Studies Association and past Vice-President of the Caribbean Agro-Economic Society.

He is the author or editor of 10 books and more than 50 scholarly papers, in addition to some 50 research reports and advisory memoranda for Caribbean and foreign governments and international development institutions and agencies.