Physical upgrades of several of the buildings at the University of Guyana (UG) could begin by the end of the year, according to Vice-Chancellor Jacob Opadeyi.
Opadeyi has told Stabroek News that rehabilitation will be carried out on Science and Technology as well as non-science buildings. He explained that the Science and Technology buildings include those within the faculties of Technology, Natural Science and Health Science, and that non-science buildings include those in the School of Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences.
While work to the Science and Technology buildings will be facilitated by the US$10 million loan from the World Bank, Opadeyi said government has provided additional funds to conduct work on non-science and technology buildings. He was however, unable to say exactly how much money was provided by the government.
According to Opadeyi, the contractor for the non-science buildings have already been identified, and the design engineer who will monitor the progress of works to the science and technology buildings has also been identified. Advertisements now have to be placed so that a contractor can be identified.
The selection of a contractor, along with other legal preparation, he said, will take about a month, and he is hoping to “have something on the ground before the end of the year.”
Additionally, he said UG is working to forge an agreement with the University of Lancashire which would see UG lecturers being able to pursue their PhDs and Master degrees. This, he said, is in keeping with efforts to enable lecturers to upgrade themselves, thereby upgrading the quality of education offered at UG.
