THE Queens College of Guyana Alumni Association, New York (QCAANY) will be convening a public symposium in May on Guyana’s new and emerging oil and gas industry that will be explored by an international panel of experts.
“Since officially becoming the world’s newest oil-producing nation just over a year ago, Guyana has moved rapidly to centre stage in the international media spotlight,” QCAANY observed in a press statement lately, adding that recent offshore discoveries of more than eight billion barrels of proven, recoverable petroleum reserves have fuelled the prospect of explosive economic growth and previously unthinkable per-capita income gains for the country’s 800,000 residents.
“But will Guyana be able to beat the odds by overcoming the dreaded resource curse that has bedeviled so many other oil-rich developing nations? How might the country learn from the missteps made by others, and how can the country safeguard the long-term economic, environmental, social and political wellbeing of its people?”

These are among the core questions that will be discussed at the event on Saturday, May 29, that is being held under the theme, “Navigating the Opportunities and Imperatives in Guyana’s Oil and Gas Economy.”
The free, two-hour event, which will begin at 15:00 hours and conclude at 17:00 hours, will be held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Centre (JPAC), located at 153-10 Jamaica Avenue in Queens, NY, and will be open to the public.
Social-distancing protocols will be in effect for the live, in-person event and registration is currently open for limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis. A live stream of the symposium will also be available but prior registration is required in order to receive the secure link.
“Guyana’s newly discovered energy resources are being heralded for their potential to transform the country’s future and greatly improve the lives of its people,” said John Campbell, President of QCAANY. “However, the realisation of that potential will require careful and strategic planning, bold ideas and broad public engagement that transcend any partisan political interests or affiliations. Our symposium will provide a forum in which Guyanese nationals and other interested parties of all backgrounds can participate in a forward-looking conversation on these issues and challenges.”

Campbell, according to the statement, further noted that the symposium will seek to promote a public cross-fertilisation of ideas on Guyana’s oil and gas economy in areas ranging from private sector and business opportunities, workforce development and training, to local content, diasporic engagement, and environmental health and safety.
He added that the organisers are looking forward to a robust, respectful and constructive dialogue on these and other issues at the event.
Participating experts at the symposium will include Dennis A. Pieters, International Reservoir Engineering Consultant, Professor and Author; Edwin M. Callender, Texas-based attorney and international energy consultant; and Fareed M. Amin, former Deputy Minister for Energy and Infrastructure in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and Deputy City Manager of the City of Toronto.
The release said the symposium will also include an interactive discussion with audience members, moderated by Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont, Executive Editor of The Network Journal; and Mohamed A. Karimullah, Vice President of Infinity Services, Inc., a Guyana-based engineering and management consulting company.