Having spent more than half of his life wrapped up in academia at the University of Guyana (UG) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Mark Kirton is currently working quietly in the background at home but with his heart still on tertiary education.
Now 71, he spent 30 years of his working life providing unbroken service, with periods of study at UG and a further 13 years at the UWI St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago where he contributed to Guyana and the Caribbean region’s development through tertiary education, and supporting the regional integration effort. Through studies, research and teaching, he gained experiences which he believes added to his understanding of life, politics, government and how to manage people and ideas, he told Stabroek Weekend.
“Universities have allowed us to impart knowledge, to see our students grow. Students must always strive for excellence in whatever they do and must look for positive outcomes,” Kirton said. “Being a late developer is no setback. It is not where you start, it is where you end. As Guyanese, we need to look beyond the narrowness of race and political preference to one that is national. I will continue to call for inclusivity in our society and to bring equity to the wider mass of our society to ensure all benefit from the new sectors that are emerging including the oil and gas sector.”