…Head of UG’s School of Entrepreneurship

THE University of Guyana, in preparation for the hosting of its second Diaspora Engagement Conference, on Thursday, February 27, hosted a precursor under the theme, `Diaspora and Development in the ‘Education Lecture Theatre at the university campus.
Professor (Prof) Leyland Lucas, Dean, School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) and Co-Chair of the university’s first forum of a similar nature, in his presentation cautioned those participating in the brainstorming session of the need to move with alacrity in the undertaking.

“Time is not on our side, we must find ways by which we can engage the diaspora so that they can provide us with the competencies and skills that are needed in order to move not only the institutions, but this country, forward,” he said in a candid presentation. Massive investments in education are needed, but those investments must be strategic, he added.
He spoke too of the need to create a diaspora-engagement policy that should be designed to attract and retain valuable skills and knowledge that are critical to this nation’s development. Also, the diaspora-engagement policy must be driven by a national policy on development, which basically is the Green State Development Strategy.

Alluding to the theme which focused on the role of the diaspora in education as it relates to the university, Prof Lucas highlighted some aspect that he said should be understood.
He said that persons in the diaspora did not become part of the system because of a choice to be away from their home, or Guyana. Instead, many are actively engaged in other ways and have remained involved.

Therefore, as the issue and its engagement with Guyana is being discussed, Prof Lucas said it is important to understand that we [diaspora] are part of an effort to rebuild our country. “We see our position in Guyana as helping to move the country forward, the land of our birth and it is in that context that I would like to focus the conversation,” he told the audience.

According to Prof Lucas, the absence of opportunities and our decisions to become part of the diaspora, resulted in the country’s education system suffering throughout. “It is not uncommon for us to see underperformance across the board in our student population, simply because they do not value the educational opportunities that are being offered and they simply see this as an opportunity to stop and get ready for some foreign land,” he added.

As it relates to education, the professor opined that every society is faced with both outward and inward migration. It is, however, unfortunate that outward migration often sucks the countries of its human capital, a situation that is obvious in Guyana.
He urged that there be discussion on what he likened as “brain game,” which he explained comes from the knowledge and skills that are brought back to our society and is also reflected in the lives of those who chose to stay and not leave.

“Therefore, as members of the diaspora and as we help to educate and impact on the education system in Guyana, we must not see our roles as one of coming and telling people what to do, which would be seen as working with those who chose not to leave or did not have the option to leave,” he remarked.

He contended that for benefits from the diaspora re-engagement to be fully realised, the diaspora should be thought of on a wider scale. Also, the diaspora should take into consideration that it is part of a Region, the CARICOM Region. Article 45 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas needs to be taken into consideration when in any discussion relating to re-engaging the diaspora.

In noting that unfortunately many of the skills that are needed are absent because of the challenges being faced, the professor is of the view that a new development-engagement policy is needed to attract those absent skills. That blueprint should not only focus on a national or governmental conversation, but also address all levels of the communities.
He suggested that associations such as a village diaspora group and hometown associations should be engaged, to help create a diaspora-engagement policy that can effectively help in the development of this country.

With respect to education, the engagement policy should seek to attract and retain the critical academic skills both at the lower and tertiary levels, because we had lost a significant number of trained teachers, Prof Lucas said.

Speaking specifically about tertiary education, he contended that ways will have to be found to attract the diaspora, while pointing out that there are instances where some people who possess the required skills and competencies are not able to travel.

The professor is of the view that exploiting the virtual network effectively, removes national boundaries and narrows the space between those who are at home and those who are abroad and that those methods should be utilized to a greater extent.

He added that while skills are needed, they cannot be utilised at the same time; therefore, the policies that are to be engaged and developed should be strategic.

As we develop new programmes at all levels, it is important that not only the University of Guyana be part of that conversation, but also the Board of Industrial Training (BIT )and the Council for Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET), he said.

Those institutions must be part of the conversation, he reiterated, adding that some of the institutions and programmes could be transformed, as not everyone learns the same way. “And so, we must begin the process of figuring out what are some of the techniques we need to bring to the learning process, in order to ensure that young people can benefit and become effective contributors in this nation.

“If we do not engage actively, we will discover that `the emperor has no clothes.’ We will continue to make every effort to be successful as a country, but we will continually fail because we have not chosen to engage those who are capable of assisting us as we move forward,” Professor Lucas contended.

The first session of the forum also featured presentations by Prof Paloma Mohamed, Deputy Vice-chancellor-PACE University and Chair of UG’s Transitional Management Committee; Pro-Chancellor UG, Brigadier(Ret’d) Joe Singh and Dr Wasir Mohamed.