The University of Guyana yesterday announced its 2024 list of awardees of honorary doctorates in this year’s convocation exercises and it includes businessman Chris Fernandes, broadcaster Vic Insanally and Baron Foods founder, Ronald Ramjattan among others.
The others to be honoured are Guyanese Toronto-based surgeon and medical innovator Dr. Narendra Chetram Singh; CEO and Founder of Hansib Publishing Arif Ali; Creole Linguistics and English Language Specialist Professor Ian Robertson; finance and management specialist Ralph Bazilio; child rights activist and social worker Ann Greene; historian and consumer advocate Patrick Parbhu Dial; veteran Guyanese musician and culturalist Eze Rockliffe and cultural icon Pauline Thomas aka “Auntie Comesee”.
Synopses on each awardee were provided by UG in a release.
The public is invited to view the conferral of awards at this year’s ceremonies at 9 am and 4pm from November 7 to 9th for Georgetown and November 16th in Berbice live on the University’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uniofguyana and UG Broadcasting Service at https://broadcasting.uog.edu.gy/
Sir Ronald Ramjattan, Founder Baron Foods
Sir Ronald Ramjattan is a Chemist/Food Technologist. He is the CEO and founder of Baron Foods Ltd. He began his academic journey at the Muslim Education Trust College in Brickdam, Georgetown. His passion for chemistry led him to the University of Guyana, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry in 1972.
Upon graduating from UG, Ramjattan started his professional career as a Chemist with GuySuCo before joining the firm of Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Ltd in Guyana as a Food Technologist. He was later transferred to manage the company’s operations in Saint Lucia and subsequently made the decision to establish his own company Baron Foods Ltd in Saint Lucia in 1991.
Under Ramjattan’s leadership, Baron Foods Ltd has evolved into the largest food processing products manufacturer in the Eastern Caribbean. The company now boasts a portfolio of over 165 award-winning food products and exports to both the Caribbean and international markets.
Dr Narendra Singh, Surgeon, Medical Innovator and Educator
Dr. Narendra Singh is currently the Director of Pediatric Critical Care Services at the South Texas Health System. Additionally, he is the Strategic Adviser to the Minister of Health in Guyana. In 2018, he retired as the Chief of Staff at Humber River Hospital, Toronto.
Dr Singh is also the Programme Director for the Pediatric Post Graduate Programme, University of Guyana/ Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and Associate Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine at the McMaster University. He founded Guyana Help the Kids in 2009 to address neonatal and infant mortality rates in Guyana.
Arif Ali, Author and Publisher
Arif Ali has over 50 years’ experience in publishing for and about the Caribbean in the United Kingdom. Ali’s career as a newspaper publisher started in 1973 with the acquisition of West Indian World. Under Ali’s editorship, the West Indian World prospered, campaigning on various educational issues that were affecting black schoolchildren in Britain. Ali went on to further engage and communicate with the Caribbean, African and Asian communities by establishing the Asian Digest (August 1980), the newspapers Caribbean Times (1981), Asian Times (1983) and African Times (1985), as well as Root Magazine (1987).
In 1997, Ali sold his newspaper companies in order to concentrate on book publishing, and Hansib remains “the biggest and most diverse black book publisher in Britain”.
Prof Ian Robertson, Linguist and Trailblazer
Following the completion of his secondary education at Queen’s College, Prof Ian Robertson went on to the University of the West Indies, Mona, where he completed the Special Honours degree in English. He returned to the University at the St Augustine campus where he completed his Ph. D in Linguistics.
He worked in the education system in Guyana and Trinidad and Jamaica for more than forty years. He has also been actively involved in the work of the Caribbean Examinations Council having served as Assistant Chief Examiner at the CSEC English panel and as Chair of the syllabus development committee for the preparation of the CAPE Communication Studies.
In academia, his work has covered a number of areas including Creole Linguistics, English Language Education in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Oral Traditions, among other areas
Christopher Fernandes, Chair of the Board John Fernandes Ltd
Patriarch of the Fernandes clan, international shipping magnate and servant leader, Chris Fernandes’ work experience covers a wide range of activities in the fields of business and management, as well as social, cultural, humanitarian and sports in Guyana. He pursued his tertiary education at the Irish Management Institute and Pennsylvania State University. He is currently the Chairman of John Fernandes Group of Companies.
He was the First President of the Shipping Association of Guyana Inc. (1995 – 2002). He was also the Chairman of Caribbean Shipping Association.
Ann Greene, Social Worker and Child Protection Advocate
Ann Greene is a career social work professional with over 45 years of experience in the Public Service in Guyana. She has served in a number of capacities in the Social Services in Guyana, starting as an administrative staff and moving to a probation and welfare officer a capacity in which she served for several years before reaching the height of Chief Probation Officer and later Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CCPA).
Ralph Bazilio, Accounting czar and philanthropist
Ralph Bazilio has over 37 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant in the US. He has built a career providing audit, accounting, financial, and management advisory services. As the CEO of Bazilio Cobb Associates and the Managing Partner of Watson Rice LLP, Bazilio has demonstrated exceptional leadership and expertise in both firms, guiding them to prominence in the accounting and consulting sectors.
Patrick Dial, Historian, Public Servant and Educator
Pat Dial is a historian by profession. He served in numerous capacities in the public service over several decades, including at the level of Permanent Secretary in the then Ministry of Information and Culture and as Executive Director of the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB) which later evolved into the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority.
He also lectured History and Caribbean Studies for many years at the University of Guyana. Dial’s work on consumerism spans several decades and to this date, he serves as President of the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA).
Vic Insanally, Veteran Broadcaster, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
Victor Insanally has had a long and illustrious career through which he has made immense contributions to the arts, culture, and public life of Guyana. He has been a pioneering force in Guyanese arts, culture, public relations, and philanthropy. His contributions to the creative and civic life of Guyana, particularly as a distinguished broadcaster, cultural leader, and pioneering entrepreneur is unparalleled, Moreover, his devotion to the upliftment of Guyanese children through the Tina Insanally Foundation exemplifies his commitment to using his talents and influence for the greater good.
Eze Rockliff, musician and cultural icon
Eze Rockcliffe is the lead for the Yoruba Singers band, formerly known as the “Kitty Young Ascrians”. Due to Rockliffe’s exceptional talent and leadership, the band has achieved many significant successes. Owing to the fact that the band has never broken up, it is by far the longest continuing ensemble of its kind in the country. It is the first to have played at almost every version of the Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (Carifesta), and the first musical group or outfit from Guyana to have had the honour to perform at the world-famous Maddison Square Garden alongside the Mighty Sparrow and the late Lord Kitchener back in 1983.
Rockcliffe and the Yoruba Singers have more than 100 recorded songs, the majority of which are originals.
Pauline Thomas, Folklorist and Performance Artist
Pauline Thomas—affectionately known as “Auntie Comesee” is a living legend at one hundred and two years old. Her name resonates deeply within the realms of storytelling, folklore and cultural preservation. Her legacy has not only enriched the artistic community in Guyana but has also influenced the wider Caribbean diaspora.
Thomas’s captivating performances at the Theatre Guild of Guyana set the standard for stage acting in the country, earning her widespread admiration for her ability to blend humour, pathos, and cultural nuance in her roles. However, it was her work as “Auntie Comesee” on the radio that truly solidified her status as a national icon.
These awardees join only 21 other honorary doctorates ever awarded by the University in its 61-year history.
The selection process
The UG release said the selection for these honorary doctorates is a year-long process. Nominations for honorary doctorates are made through an academic division within the University at least one year in advance of the award to allow for the shortlisting and the five approval steps and background research to be robustly done. Individuals receiving the honorary doctorate must have been nominated and must exemplify decades of consistent excellence in their areas of service. Submissions are made through the University honours and awards portal on its website.
