Wing in UG’s New Science and Technology Building at Turkeyen Campus to be named after fallen GDF Brig. Gary Beaton, a Graduate Engineer of UG’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Last Updated on Saturday, 16 December 2023, 18:09 by Denis Chabrol

…Facility will immediately supply 15,000 of the 30,000 square feet needed

The University of Guyana (UG) and one of its key development partners, the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), on Friday, 15th December 2023, turned the sod for a three-part project which includes the construction of a new and modern state-of-the-art Science and Technology Building at the University’s Turkeyen Campus.

UG also said in a statement on Saturday that the other two parts of the project will include retrofitting of labs in the Faculty over the next few months and the addition of three new labs into the existing Faculty of Engineering building.

All of this towards five main goals:  Doubling the number of graduates in Engineering in three years in keeping with the high demand for UG trained engineers by the Public Sector, GoG, Oil and Gas as well as private sector in Guyana;  Providing purpose-built facilities for staff and students, promoting collaborative cutting-edge research and problem focused interdisciplinary teaching; Supporting the first International Accreditation of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology which is due in 2024.

The project is part of a larger US$2.1M five-year collaboration between the University of Guyana and the GGI which was negotiated in 2019 by UG’s Office of Philanthropy, Alumni and Civic Engagement (PACE).

The GGI comprises of the Stabroek Block co-venturers’ – ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, CNOOC Petroleum and HESS Corporation and their gift to the University will benefit thousands of students who desire to develop careers in science, technology and engineering. The project will also support the massive developmental push in Guyana by doubling the number of Engineering and Tech graduates in the next 3 years and helping to prepare the Faculty for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)  accreditation next year.

The project represents an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) and the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FEES). The 15,000 square feet space has been designed as shared spaces to facilitate areas of work where synergy exists for these faculties, including water and energy sustainability through use of solar energy and information technology. It will include labs, new classrooms and offices.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof Paloma Mohamed-Martin underscored the importance of the facility noting that it will boost the capacity of the University to produce the quality and quantity of engineers that are needed which she noted has increased tremendously over the past few years.

The VC further explained that over the past six to seven years, the University has seen a massive increase in the number of applicants to the engineering and other technical programmes being offered and to keep up with this demand, such a facility is very much needed.  “This is a very significant moment; I would like to thank GGI. I would like to thank our GGI family because they have really stood with the university,” the VC said in the UG statement.

Prof. Mohamed-Martin added that several new path-breaking projects aimed at further developing the University and its students and staff have been in implementation phase over the last 14 months and are now ready to be launched very early in 2024.

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited Country Manager, Mr. Alistair Routledge, who spoke on behalf of the GGI said: “I am delighted to be here for the sod-turning event at this pivotal moment. I stand here on behalf of ExxonMobil Guyana, CNOOC and Hess as the Stabroek Block co-venturers’. What brought us here to Guyana was to explore for and develop the natural resources in the form of oil and gas in the country. Thankfully for all of us we have been successful in that journey and because of that we are in this great position where we have also been able to set aside funds to support these kinds of projects.”

Project Oversight Lead and Head of Department of Civil Engineering at UG, Dr. Kofi Dalrymple, in presenting an overview of the project, stated that the project is part of a larger plan to equip the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, along with its interdisciplinary partners, specifically the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, to serve our great nation.

Dr. Dalrymple explained that the project provides for the retrofitting of the existing Faculty of Engineering and Technology facilities to address issues and adapt to new learning approaches. He said: “Our labs are in dire need of upgrade. To train the engineers of the future, we need facilities that foster learning, cutting-edge research centres, and well-equipped classrooms that create an environment to stimulate curiosity and foster hands-on learning experiences.”

He noted that the project will seek to modernise the facilities to serve as incubators for innovation, allowing aspiring engineers to engage in groundbreaking research and development projects.

Dr. Dalrymple added that the project will allow for the expansion of the existing FET laboratory noting that the student enrolment rate has almost tripled, but the facilities remain the same. “The Faculty has estimated the need for an additional 23,000 square feet in new lab space. This project will add a much needed 5000 square feet. We also are adding new expanded labs for Petroleum and Geology–areas of priority for our faculty and our country,” he said.

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Ms. Verlyn Klass said that the Faculty was very much appreciative of the support being given by the Greater Guyana Initiative and noted that it will boost the efforts being made by the University to produce top quality engineers and architects for the development of the country.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Engagement, Professor Emanuel Cummings in his closing remarks also underscored the importance of the facility noting that it will add significantly to the University’s landscape and more importantly improve the quality of engineers which Guyana now needs.

Prof. Cummings further noted that the FET has started preparations for programme accreditation and noted that the modern facility “will certainly put the Faculty in a very strong position in having those educational resources that are required for achieving programme accreditation.”

President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Student Chapter, Ms. Kezia Chinian, and Reyhanah Abdul-Kadir, a former engineering student, both pointed to the many positive impacts the new building will have on students as they seek to develop their careers in science, technology and engineering.

The design team comprises architects and engineers from the Faculty, including Dr. Anna Perriera, Dr. William Wilson, a world-class structural engineer, and Mr. Colin Quintyn. The UG team has also been supported by the talented design team of CB and Associates.

The University’s collaboration with the GGI spans several critical areas of capacity building and development for the University including the Zoom Rooms project which laid the first building blocks for the University’s blended learning architecture, the Campus Safety and Security project which seeks to enhance safety for staff, students and visitors to the Campus, the Regional Accelerator for Stem Students Readiness (RASSR) programme which is a mentorship and development initiative targeting young STEM students across Guyana, among others.

Subsequent to verifying that Brigadier Gary Beaton of the GDF who was also laid to rest on Friday morning along with 4 other servicemen who tragically lost their lives last week, was a graduate Engineer of the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology, the University proposes to name a wing of the building after the fallen hero. UG will also introduce the Five Heroes Award in the names of all of the five fallen servicemen, a university-wide award for students who are officers, servicemen or reserves who attain a high academic profile from 2024.

The University of Guyana, now in its 60th year, was founded in October 1963. “UG” as it is fondly referred to offers 160 plus programmes in over 60 disciplines in online, face-to-face or blended formats. UG delivers in a Guyana-based system across eight campuses. It is the largest, oldest, most advanced and only state University in Guyana with a student population of over 10,000.

“UG” has provided education, training and research for over 50,000 alumni over its 60-year history. UG’s national and global impact and footprint are significant. Its graduates have risen to populate the commanding heights of national, regional and international Organisations of repute in over 150 different disciplines. The mission of the University is to discover, generate, disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community, the nation, and all mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom, innovation and universal respect.

UG’s forward-thinking Blueprint 2040 is currently setting the course for the University’s future design and institutional response to the changing needs of Guyana, the region and the world. UG is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary and is stepping up its focus on becoming one of the leading and most sought-after educational institutions in the world for both staff and students.