UG boosts teaching, research with 31 PhD, Ed.d holders

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 January 2024, 21:35 by Denis Chabrol

The University of Guyana (UG) has received a substantial shot in the arm after 31 of its faculty members who were studying for their PhDs and Ed.Ds graduated in December 2023, the publicly funded tertiary institution said Saturday.

The scholars from across UG’s 8 Faculties and several service units are already back at the University carrying out teaching, research and administrative functions. The Advanced Scholar Programme,  which began in the 2018/2019 academic year, was funded by the ExxonMobil Foundation and was developed by the University of Guyana in a close collaboration with Arizona State University.

The project also funded three Masters students. Six more doctoral scholars are expected to complete in the coming months.

The project was designed by then Deputy Vice Chancellor of The University of Guyana, Prof. Paloma Mohamed-Martin and Prof Gary Dirks of Arizona State University in the United States primarily to increase the number of teaching staff at the University who had terminal degrees (doctorates), by 30% by 2024, and to power up UG’s research capacity.

Prof. Mohamed-Martin, now Vice Chancellor, has said the programme is “a blessing to the University, our students and the country since it will immediately increase the research output of the University, the quality of teaching, and also the fundamental levels of administration and service. This experience for these dedicated staff was meant to be more than an academic exercise. It was an experiential one which was critical to operating UG’s Blueprint 2040. This goal has been achieved.”

Prof. Dirks says “the programme with UG was absolutely critical to ensuring that The  University of Guyana is able to deal with the tsunami of developments which are about to descend upon the country. I was honoured to be part of this very, very important moment for UG and Guyana.”

The University of Guyana’s Advanced Scholar programme focused on action research on key problems located in all 10 regions of Guyana as well as the University of Guyana itself as a community of interest.  Dissertations on sustainable agriculture and forestry, energy, education and indigenous communities, water and pollution, biodiversity, chemical and mechanical innovations and technologies, computing, labour economics, education ,  educational administration and support systems to name a few, were produced over 4 intense years of study and research.

Scholars under the project have so far published over 60 research papers.  Two books and a conference on their work are currently in preparation and the project itself is being studied as a model system for rapid results use of the  academy in sustainable development.  The University of Guyana will be featuring one scholar and their work every week starting February 2024.

The University wishes to congratulate its scholars and their academic support teams and to thank ASU, ExxonMobil Foundation, the University of Guyana’s support team, including all who contributed, covered teaching and administrative duties for their colleagues while they pursued their studies.