Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said the 150 Cuba scholarships granted this year bring to an end the joint government programme.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Luncheon made these disclosures at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and then Cuba President Fidel Castro inked the agreement in 2002. It allowed hundreds of Guyanese students to study medicine and other sciences in that country. Luncheon said in the first year 117 students were given awards, followed by 93 in 2003; 52 in 2004; 56 in 2005; 351 in 2006; 147 in 2007 and 150 this year.
This year’s scholarships include 22 in agriculture science; 24 in engineering science and 100 in medical science. “Cabinet was advised that the awardees in the engineering and the agriculture science programmes have been selected and the Cuban authorities have set the last week in September for the arrival of that batch, the medical science awardees will follow later,” Luncheon said. He also said that based on the success of the programme, Cabinet was advised that efforts are being made to prepare a succession programme.
