Why are we here?
The University of the West Indies Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business is an internationally accredited school with the Association of MBA’s in the United Kingdom. Largely funded by the Private Sector it was borne out the recognition of a need to support higher education, develop individual and organization capacity, and promote global competitiveness.
The Lok Jack GSB is a major provider of business education management consulting, executive training and research in the Caribbean.
The Lock Jack GSB is a Centre of Excellence for Training and Development in the Commonwealth Secretariat, Partner Institute for the World Economic Forum for the Annual Global Competitiveness Report, A network member of the Fraser Institute in the production of Economic Freedom of the World Report and the Caribbean’s leading business school offering internationally recognized MBA programmes which as all fully accredited.
The school’s motto Innovatus Ars Ducendi was created to reinforce the school’s purpose to provide training and development for leaders. The translation of the motto from Latin means “Innovating the Art of Leadership”, and this is the stance that the school has taken as it enters the Guyanese market.
The Graduate School of Business has focused on Guyana as the first point of its internationalization process, for many reasons. Trinidad and Guyana share a similar history and is also similar culturally. The school is leveraging on these similarities as it develops programmes and courses to meet the needs of the Guyana businesses. Business programmes that were developed for the Trinidad market can be easily adapted to the Guyanese sectors, and the faculty is better able to create real life examples during the face to face sessions, that are relevant to the participants.
Another reason for the decision to enter Guyana is the location of the country, which allows it to better serve the strategic needs of South America. Professor Miguel Carrillo, Executive Director of the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business noted that Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, which opens the country up to be of great value to Latin America. Its natural positioning adjacent to Brazil which is the super power of South America gives it the best potential to develop a sustainable model of development. Guyana has the potential for a diversified economy leveraging the use of its many sectors.
The Lok Jack Graduate School of Business is focused towards developing Caribbean Markets for the challenge of Internationalisation. Although the institution has provided Corporate Solutions for the market during the last 15 years, this focus on academic programmes, signals the further commitment to help develop a knowledge based economy to support the fist 3 initiatives. Professor Carrillo indicates that “Guyana is a hidden gem with lot of potential, not because of the natural resources, but because of the human capital”.
The school is showing the commitment to continue to work with the Guyanese community to develop their skills. The previous experience from the projects over the past 15 years has allowed the Lok Jack GSB to foster great relationships with many private sector orgnisations and understand what is required for Guyana to make best use of its many available resources, and achieve global success.
Although the experience in Guyana has been with the private sector organizations, the programmes being created will be suitable for both private and public sector. The Lok Jack GSB has a wealth of experience in providing for solutions for the public sector, as 50% of all corporate solutions learning sessions are created for various public sectors throughout the Caribbean.
The school has taken its time to understand the Guyanese market and create these customized programmes to further the professional development of individuals and increase the strategic growth of organizations, with the view that these two elements working together will create the exponential growth that is demanded of a Caribbean economy.
The belief is that forming an ‘In company Executive MBA’ programmee in which participants must be nominated by their companies, it will allow greater loyalty to the organization and to the growth of the local economy. The training that will be provided, should give the country the tools needed to make local businesses, into regional ones and construct a powerhouse Caribbean economy.
