The University of Guyana (UG) came in for intense scrutiny on Friday at a Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) forum with head of the private sector, Gerry Gouveia deploring conditions on campus and calling for the institution to be run like a business.
The event was a GMSA-sponsored luncheon held at the Regency Suites Hotel, where recently appointed Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Carrington was the guest speaker.
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission Capt Gouveia delivered some stinging criticisms about the state of the University, calling it “deplorable” and “neglected”. While saluting the efforts of the lecturers on the campus, he lambasted the university for its poor infrastructure and said that this needed to be urgently addressed.
The PSC Chairman emphasised that the university was not only an educational institution but also a business and called for it to be run like one. He said that the administrators needed to see the students as customers, and needed to treat them with respect.
The university was also chided by Gouveia for being the greatest violators of international copyright laws, even as he argued that this practice was inculcating bad habits in the youths. He opined that this practice was suggesting to students at the institution that it was alright to break the law.
Gouveia also said that the University needed to be rid of politics and suggested that bipartisanship was needed where all the views could be heard. He said that “the government needed to step back and allow the university to operate as a business in the best interest of the country.”
Professor Carrington, during his address, admitted that he and Gouveia shared a similar analysis of the university. He said that as a newcomer to the Guyanese society, he was extremely uneasy when he encountered some of the conditions that he had to face. Carrington was appointed Vice-Chancellor at the University in April of this year.
Carrington, however, gave his assurance that the senior management of the university is determined to ensure that the neglect does not continue, even as he pointed out that the response of the government had been favourable thus far. According to the Vice-Chancellor, a survey of all the buildings was about to be undertaken by an engineer that had been recommended by President Bharrat Jagdeo. He said this survey would determine the work that needed to be done to refurbish and correct other infrastructural issues on the campus.
Carrington opined that the “governance structure of the institution was not sufficiently contemporary” to address some of the problems facing the University. He suggested that the rules for managing issues relating to finance, procurement and other such matters needed to be re-examined.
As he had announced at a press conference last month, Carrington cited curriculum review, an accreditation programme and Distance and Continuing education as areas of the academic structure at the University that needed to be reviewed.
During his address titled “The Development of the University of Guyana to serve the Business Community”, Carrington said that the university “has never benefited from the level of resources that would have allowed it to flower and deliver on its potential. “ He stated that “the social, political and economic crises of the country have had the effect of restraining the university’s advance, sometimes to the point of paralysis.”
The Vice-Chancellor stated that migration was affecting the success of the university. According to him, “replenishing the stock of educated citizens is an ongoing problem because the habit of migrating after graduation leaks out of the country a frighteningly large proportion of the people that it educates, even before the ink is dry on their certificates.” He opined that stemming the outflow is a complex matter that could not be addressed unilaterally by any sector. He said that graduates would only stay if they had access to lucrative jobs and other attractive socio-economic factors.
Carrington called for the business community to offer the requisite support to the university, as he acknowledged that they had an integral part to play in the development of UG.
Meanwhile, President of the GMSA Ramesh Dookhoo told the gathering that the event was being held to bring together academia and the private sector. He said that the private sector considered the university to be an important institution in the country and opined that there needed to be a closer networking between the two institutions.
Dookhoo announced the formation of a group, which would serve as a private sector liaison body for the university. The group has been charged with the responsibility of advising the University officials and providing feedback between the University and the GMSA. Carrington during his presentation indicated his appreciation for this initiative.
He raised several concerns about the state of the university and about the academic programmes. Dookhoo pointed out that there exists a feeling among members of the private sector that the UG Curriculum in some faculties is outdated, since they have not been changed much over the years.
Gouveia, during his presentation, had criticized the tourism programme at the university since according to him, the students who graduate from the programme were “totally unsuited to working in the tourism industry.”
Dookhoo also called for the immediate introduction of “a degree programme in human resources management, a degree programme in marketing and a degree programme in accounting as these are essential pillars of business development.” He also urged that a diploma course in Internal Auditing be offered at the university.
The Chairman called for better University administration and improved physical facilities. Further he called for more research to be done to support the national development of the country and the strengthening of extra mural and continuing education programmes.
Also addressing the audience at the luncheon was recently elected President of the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce, Carol Evelyn, who underscored the importance of the traders to individual territories and to the region.
