THE University of Guyana (UG) is now officially an accredited institution. And this, over its 60-odd year history as the premier educational institution in the country.

This is undoubtedly a major achievement for the University of Guyana, which was established in 1963 by the then PPP administration under the visionary leadership of Dr Cheddi Jagan. Dubbed ‘Jagan’s Night School’  by the then opposition PNC, the university has grown in stature over the decades to become today the flagship institution in the country.

Of significance to note is the fact that British Guiana was the first colony in the entire region to have had a university of its own. The University of the West Indies in those days with campuses in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago served the need for higher education of the entire Anglophone Caribbean. Needless to state, such a situation was not only costly but deprived many bright Guyanese students from accessing university education.

With the introduction of the University of Guyana, university education became accessible to all Guyanese who met the matriculation standards. And even though the university did a reasonably good job in terms of its mandate as a teaching and research institution, it was not until recently that it received accreditation status from the National Accreditation Council of Guyana (NAC). The NAC was established in 2024 by an Act of

Parliament with the aim of promoting academic excellence and upholding the integrity of qualifications awarded by local institutions.
The accreditation of the University of Guyana coincided with the fulfilment of a manifesto promise by the ruling PPP/C administration to provide free tertiary education to all students pursuing higher education. The 2025 National Budget Estimates have already made provision for this eventuality which is indeed remarkable, given the fact that few countries in the world, including the more advanced economies such as the United States and Canada, provide university education free of cost.

There is no denying that this is a major investment by the PPP/C administration in the development of the country’s human capital, which is so critical for the country’s development, especially at this time of accelerated growth and transformation. However, like any other investment, there will be enhanced focus on returns on investment and value for money. Investments in education, especially at the tertiary level, can be costly. It is a cost, however, that the current PPP/C administration is willing to bear, if only because of the empowering impact it has on young people and by extension, the broader society.
Guyana is making significant economic and social gains, which is manifested in all facets of national life. This is also true of the University of Guyana, which, according to its Vice-Chancellor, has been climbing the international ranking with the overall aim of positioning it among the top Global 200 in another few years.

This is indeed laudable and is consistent with the enhanced international profile of the country as a whole, thanks to the visionary leadership of President Ali and the PPP/C administration.