– as UG Press will facilitate publishing of their research and discoveries

THE University of Guyana Press (UGP) was established a year ago, succeeding the signing of a partnership agreement between the University of Guyana and Ian Randle Publishers, well known as the largest publisher in the English speaking Caribbean.

This agreement allows UGP to function as publisher of content produced by the University of Guyana.

As such the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Ivelaw Griffith is emphasising that students make full use of the opportunity of having their content published and recognised. This will be done through his ongoing “Renaissance Project”. The Renaissance Project is part of phase one of the occasional online papers that UGP will be publishing.

Professor Griffith stated that the University of Guyana is certainly about teaching, but it is not about teaching alone.

“Any university that has a national mandate has to go beyond emphasis on teaching. It has to go with emphasising the importance of research and discovery. It has to emphasise of course, the importance of pushing the research and discovery, in a way that it allows people to learn about what we research and learn about our discoveries. The only way to do that is to publish and so I am pushing as part of our University’s Renaissance,” he said.
He shared with students of the Turkeyen campus on Thursday, that when he was a student at UG in the 1970’s, UG was a place known as a research engine.

“UG was well known in the 70’s and 80’s as a place of research. Part of my renaissance project is to rebuild that respect, that credibility, that agency for research. We are pushing the emphasis on research, not only by lecturers but by students. Get involved in research now,” he said.

He added: “sometimes you think you have one career goal, but when you get involved in research, you want to become more. It’s amazing how much you can learn when you research. That will not only complement what you want to do as a career but it broadens your horizon on other fields. Find a way to not only be comfortable with doing your research but seeking other opportunities.”

Every year UG hosts a Student Research Conference at Turkeyen and one at Tain. This year the parameter of disciplines was extended to include the arts. He believes that research is not only limited to Chemistry Physics, Mathematics and Engineering, but can be done in any field.

He said when students get involved in researching and making their own discoveries, UG Press will facilitate the publishing of their findings, to aid in the dissemination of knowledge to the universe.

“It’s important that we establish the mechanisms that allow the research to be published, to be read, to be viewed and to be enjoyed by not only UG students or by Guyanese but by others, wherever they are. We’ve had the first voting of the editorial board in Guyana. The editorial board decided that the press will not only be in the business of producing books.

The press will also be in the business of producing monographs, electronic occasional papers, scholarly journals, and other digital materials. Things in which both lecturers and students can contribute in writing, to publish,” he said.