–President Ali says, as renowned diplomat takes up post as UG’s 11th Chancellor
SIR Ronald Sanders has officially assumed the post of 11th Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), with President Dr. Irfaan Ali hailing him as a “distinguished son of the soil” and a leader well suited to guide the institution at a pivotal moment in the country’s development.
During his address at the inauguration ceremony on Friday morning, President Ali set out a broad vision for the University of Guyana, reminding his audience that education is firmly tied to national priorities and economic transformation.
“One of the things that would not change in this world, is a need for knowledge… It is only through ideas that new discoveries are made. It is only through good research and ideas that new products are developed. And it is only through new products we can expand our prosperity and ensure that our prosperity is built on a diversified platform,” he said.
For Guyana, Dr. Ali said, this means ensuring that national development leads to regional prosperity and greater regional integration, with the University of Guyana playing a deliberate and leading role in research and thought leadership at both national and regional levels.
He stressed, too, the importance of aligning education with national development priorities, pointing to the government’s policy shift to offer free university education.
Sir Ronald is a former Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford, and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex. He has received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Guyana.
His academic career includes service as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, and Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto.
He also served as Rapporteur of a special committee appointed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London on the future of the Commonwealth Institute, and as an elected member of the Executive Board of UNESCO.
On the diplomatic front, Sir Ronald is currently Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States, and has served an unprecedented three terms as President of the OAS Permanent Council. His work on multilateral diplomacy, small-state advocacy, and global policy engagement has earned him wide international respect.
“He is more than eminently qualified to hold this position, his long and distinguished career in diplomacy, scholarship and public service makes him more than ably qualified for the post. University of Guyana is extremely fortunate to welcome to him as its 11th Chancellor,” President Ali said.
GREATER REGIONAL INTEGRATION
Looking at the future, President Ali outlined a higher calling for the academic institution pointing to opportunities for greater regional integration.
UG, he added, is positioning itself to become a world-class tertiary centre of education, serving as a catalyst to lead the nation into a secure future.
“We have said that our national development and prosperity must lead to regional prosperity and greater regional integration. Any successful academic institution or university in today’s world must be strong in research. Must be able to deliver research papers that stand, that can stand scrutiny, must be able to contribute to literature and research. And University of Guyana must occupy a deliberate space here, nationally and in our region to begin with,” President Ali said.
He noted that the university must now align itself with the realities of industries to ensure that graduates can maximise both their academic knowledge and practical skills, taking full advantage of emerging opportunities.
“The traditional form of academic qualification, degrees, diplomas, masters and PhDs are very important, but we must align those qualifications with professional designations, because that is a direction that the world is heading into. How we ensure that our education system here at the university is integrated in those professional institutions,” he said.
