– UG graduating class told

AGAINST the backdrop of recent oil discoveries, University of Guyana (UG) graduates were

on Saturday afternoon told that they must think as “generalists” who are now equipped with the tools to propel the country forward.

Dr. Vincent Adams, Deputy Field Manager in the US Department of Energy, also reminded the 1628 persons on the graduation list that they should grasp every educational opportunity available because it is crucial to further success.

He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 50th Convocation ceremony of the university, held at its Turkeyen campus, where graduands, their families and others gathered.

President David Granger; Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge; and several government officials and members of the Opposition were on hand to witness the event.

Dr. Adams, who graduated from the Turkeyen Campus 43 years ago, and was among the first who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering at the time, called on the graduating class to continue to educate themselves. “Learning is an attitude, not a destination,” he said.

He noted that the persons being hired today for jobs are those who have the desire to succeed.
He described a formidable education as a basic human right and a basic equalizer, noting that education is something he holds close to his heart. He recalled that his mother had not known to read or write. However, he said, his drive to succeed from his humble beginnings at Christiansburg, Linden was always a priority.

“As you go to eat the fruit, don’t forget who planted it,” he told the graduates, noting that they are each representatives of their respective communes, and that they would now be viewed “differently than you were before”. He stressed hard work as a key factor, noting that giving up is never an option, even after disappointments.

The ceremony saw hundreds of relatives converging at the campus to witness the graduation of their loved ones, leaving long lines of traffic leading to UG. Under the fading sunlight, the ceremony got off to a brisk start, and after the official introductions, students screamed and shouted in joy as their colleagues stepped on stage during their conferral with their respective honours.

Valedictorian Kibwey Peterkin received a loud round of applause when his name was called among the graduates, and also during his speech. Peterkin received the President’s Medal for the Best Graduating Bachelor’s Degree Student, and he also won the Prime Minister’s Award for the Best Graduating Student in the School of Medicine.

On Saturday, special mention was made of the outstanding achievements of Ganesh Mithra Singh, a visually impaired student who graduated with distinction after reading for a Degree in Social Work.

Persons graduated with masters and bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. The class of 2016 studied all academic programmes in the seven faculties at UG, including Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Education and Humanities, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Technology; and there were students from the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) who graduated as well.

According to the university, a notable milestone of the 50th Convocation was the graduation of the first batch of students from four new programmes offered at the university in the Faculties of Health Sciences and Technology.
Six students were conferred with the Master’s degree in Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases; another six students received the Master’s degree in Public Health; and the Bachelor of Science in Medical Rehabilitation was conferred on three students. Nine students, including UG staffers from the Facilities Maintenance Division, were conferred with Diplomas in Industrial Engineering.

The institution’s newly formed choir, led by Ms. Sandrene Abrams, performed its jubilee song while being backed by the Guyana Police Force Band. The song, composed by Canada-based Guyanese Ms. Liane Dewar, was the winning entry in the UG-sponsored song competition.