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Misir said: “On Wednesday, December 12, 2012, the Council of the University convened, received the report and approved the recommendation to offer the post to Prof. Jacob Opadeyi, a serving professor at the University of the West Indies.”
Dr. Misir stated that Opadeyi has since consented to the offer and will shortly engage the university in relation to his association and the terms and conditions under which he will be contracted.
“The university, therefore, takes the pleasure in reporting on the unprecedented process that it has undertaken and hereby announces its culmination in Prof. Opadeyi being identified and graciously accepting the offer,” Misir said.
The position of UG Vice-Chancellor became vacant on March 31, 2012, after Professor Lawrence Carrington intimated he was not desirous of being considered for a new contract.
According to Misir, after the vacancy arose, advertisements were carried internationally, regionally and locally and 18 applications were received.
CANDIDATES
Those candidates were then shortlisted to four, including Professors Jaipaul Singh, Rory Fraser and Muniram Budhu.
Misir said that, for the purpose of determining the successful candidate, the UG Council set up an elaborate process, which included the establishment of criteria for shortlisting the actual shortlisting, a menu of interviewing activities and a recommendation and approval procedure.
Meanwhile, Council Member, Ms. Gail Teixeira emphasised that it is important to note that this decision was one that was unanimously taken both by the sub-committee and the council.
“The process that was utilised allowed each candidate to show his strengths and weaknesses and, in the final cut, the sub-committee felt that Professor Opadeyi was the man and the best candidate for the University of Guyana at this time,” she asserted.
Teixeira said his qualifications along with his understanding of management also played a great role in the making of the decision.
Also speaking at the press conference, Council Member, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine said Professor Opadeyi is the person they best believe has the energy, openness and innovation, which gave him the edge over the other candidates.
Roopnarine pointed out, though, that all the shortlisted candidates were highly qualified academics and would have brought to UG a lot of academic expertise.
According to him, given the amount of work that needs to be done to get this university to the position where they would like to see it, there needs to be a wide range of reforms and assessments.
He said those assessments include the university structure, the curriculum and the operations in each faculty.
Opadeyi is currently Professor of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management at UWI and holds various academic qualifications, which include a Ph.D in Land Management from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada and a M.Sc and B.Sc (First Class Honors) in surveying from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. (Chriseanna Ramrekha)
