UG appoints new Council for the first time in five years

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 July 2025, 22:38 by Writer

The University of Guyana (UG) now has a new governing body – its Council – for the first time in almost five years and almost one year after an order was approved by the National Assembly to widen stakeholder representation amid opposition fears that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) was tightening its grip on the publicly-funded tertiary institution.

In reality, the PPPC-led administration potentially has concrete support from 13 to 14 Council members. Nine of them are PPP-aligned and represent other organisations, one represents the PPPC directly, and three others are employed by and in some cases represent specified government agencies other than UG.

The lone opposition-aligned representative is that of the Minority Leader, though the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is widely seen as sympathetic to that political opposition.

Five other Council members are directly from the UG academic and administrative community. In the past, the Pro-Chancellor Dr Prem Misir had been regarded as pro-PPP.

The July 2024 parliamentary amendment of the Council provides for an increase in the membership from 26 to 32 and now allows for representatives of youth, business, Hindu, Muslim and Christian organisations, medicine, law, information and communications technology, environment and climate change, natural resources, and national defence and security. The amendment also provided for the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) to be represented on the Council.

In early May, 2025 the Council was appointed to include youth representative Sarah Browne-Shadeek; business, Alphonso De Armas; Hindu, Hardesh Tiwari; Muslim, Kalam Azad Ibrahim; Christian, Melcita Bovell; Information and Communications Technology, Darryl Akeung; environment and climate change, Vanessa Benn; natural resources, Michael Munroe, and national defence and security, Colonel Ronald Hercules. The FITUG representative is Carvil Duncan.

The Guyana Trades Union Congress’ representative is Dr Ivor English.

Looking at political association, Ms Browne-Shadeek is a former PPPC Parliamentary Secretary; Mr Alfonso De Armas is a PPPC Councillor for Georgetown; Kalam Azad Ibrahim is a PPPC Councillor on for Crabwood Creek-Moleson Creek; Ms Vanessa Benn is a PPPC candidate; Colonel Ronald Hercules is a former long-serving presidential Aide-de-Camp, and Mr Duncan is a PPPC loyalist.

Other representatives include Dr Mahendra Carpen (medicine); Devindra Kissoon (law); Mr. Derrick John (Amerindians); Vikash Ramkissoon (farmers); Indrani Ramnarine (women); Dr. Erica Forte (PPPC); representative of the Minority Leader, Sherod Duncan; Finance Ministry Secretary Sukrishnalall Pasha; Ministry of Education Chief Education Officer Mohamed Saddam Hussain; President of the University of Guyana Workers Union Dr. Davon VanVeen; President of the University of Guyana Student Society Tirishatha Semple; Somattie Sayrange (Guild of Graduates); Dr. Leyland Lucas (Committee of Deans); Dr. Jacqueline Murray (UG Academic Board), and the Vice Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor and Chancellor.

Dr Carpen is a PPPC supporter; Mr John is also head of the National Toshaos Council and he is perceived in some circles as pro-PPP and Mr Ramkissoon was up to recently a PPPC parliamentarian.

The UG Act also provides for the Chancellor to nominate representatives from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, International Co-operation in Higher Education of the United Kingdom, and University of the West Indies.