The University of Toronto yesterday gifted the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the University of Guyana (UG) 23 second-hand microscopes, which are valued at more than $12 million.
At a presentation ceremony at UG’s Turkeyen Campus yesterday were representatives of the University of Toronto, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and students and lecturers of UG.
UG’s Vice-Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith thanked the representatives of the University of Toronto for their generous donation and said it would go a long way towards improving and assisting the students of UG. He added that the microscopes will benefit more than 140 students of the petroleum, mining and engineering programmes at UG.
Professor at the University of Toronto, Dr Daniel Schulze, in brief remarks, told attendees how pleasing it was to donate the Leitz Polarizing microscopes. He said even though they were used for over 20 years at the Canadian university, they are in excellent condition.
After the handing over of the microscopes, Niossi Alsopp, a student from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology expressed thanks to Dr Schulze for the donation. “Being a student at UG, the microscopes would have made a big difference in technology courses last year, so my vote of thanks is as much for students that come after us as it is for students going forward,” she said. Alsopp also mentioned the need to increase the students’ knowledge of the equipment.
It was also reported by Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UG Paloma Mohamed that a one-year-old $100 million grant from the GGMC helped with shipping costs. She said the microscopes will be used in the Petroleum Department in the Faculty.
