–rates it institution’s ‘single most important success’
OUTGOING Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Lawrence Carrington, disclosed last Friday that the “single most important success” that the University of Guyana (UG) can report at present is the negotiation of the World Bank Science and Technology Support Project, which could see an input to the university of about US$10M over a five-year period. Professor Carrington, who has served in the capacity of Vice-Chancellor since 2009, was addressing UG staff members in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre at the Turkeyen campus, East Coast Demerara.      Reporting on initiatives that are yet to become reality, Professor Carrington spoke about the World Bank loan that is aimed at certain broad areas, such as the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the Science and Technology Laboratory facilities in four of the university’s faculties at Turkeyen; the review and reform of UG’s Science curriculum; and support for research towards low-carbon themes.
According to Carrington, the proposal includes the creation of a fibre-optic ring, and networking for information technology capacity at the Turkeyen campus; and appropriate complementary capacity and linkage at the Berbice campus.
He explained that the loan to the Guyana Government has not yet been activated because the Finance Minister is still to sign a crucial loan document. “My hope is that the university will continue to press for this loan to be activated, and to cooperate with the processes that it will entail,” Carrington said.

Relationships
On a different note, he said the university is working towards establishing relationships with the Beijing Technological and Business University in connection with the establishment of a Confucius Institute for teaching Chinese language and culture.
“If all goes well, the goodwill of the Government of China would produce a structure which would enable the School of Education and Humanities to guarantee the place of Chinese in the curriculum of the university, and deliver its programmes more effectively,” he said.
In this regard, Carrington acknowledged “the sterling perseverance” of Guyana’s Ambassador to China, Professor David Dabydeen.
Carrington said the University of Guyana’s operational environment is archaic in terms of its governance structure, with its rules, regulations, procedures and policies belonging to an era long past. However, the university was successful in obtaining a substantial grant from the Caribbean Development Bank, to allow engagement of a consulting firm to review its regulatory framework.
Carrington said the university has suffered “dreadfully” from public disclosure of discussions at the Academic Board, the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the University Council, and the Senior Administrative Group.
“Some of the members of our Senior Administrative Group might have been wondering why I have not convened meetings for quite a long time. Why should I, if our discussions find place in newspapers, blogs and other public repositories?
“We have to try and cultivate the ethic of privacy, the characteristic of self-restraint, and the habit of respect for the boundaries between private and public affairs.”
Professor Carrington’s contract with UG ends on March 31, and he is proceeding on leave with effect from February 6.