President Ali charges UG graduates to help revolutionise Guyana

President Dr Irfaan Ali charged the new graduates of the University of Guyana to use the
knowledge, skills and values they have acquired from their tertiary-level education to
revolutionise Guyana’s development.
In a pre-recorded video message played during their respective graduation ceremonies over the
last week, the President pointed to the importance of their university education. “You, the
graduates of the Class of 2020/2021, have successfully equipped yourself with the most potent
arsenal of change: a university education. You must now use the knowledge, the skills and the
values that you would have acquired to change your personal circumstances and revolutionise
Guyana’s development,” Ali said.
The Head of State stressed that Guyana needs expertise, more so because of the transformative
drive to not only modernise, but to diversify the economy. The President said that his
Government will attach “extreme importance” to developing and retaining its highly-skilled and
knowledgeable graduates, while explaining the importance of tertiary-level education. “Your
education will unlock doors and open windows of opportunities for you to contribute to national
development,” he noted.
The President revealed that education must also be used to dismantle the barriers of prejudice,
hatred and enmity, which he said can deprive us of being the best we can be. “You are the
generation in which Guyana’s future resides, and it is you to whom we look to realise a ‘One-
Guyana’,” he argued.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR
Ali added that his Government believes in the transformative power of education and has
devoted increased resources towards improving the country’s education system, including
university education. To this end, he reiterated that his Government remains committed to
equipping the University of Guyana with the tools needed to respond to the needs of an
increasingly knowledge-based society. “We intend to continue to expand the range of university
programmes available to students and, by 2025, to guarantee free university education,” he said.
Ali reminded that currently, the Government is enhancing access to higher education, including
through the provision of more than 20,000 online scholarships and other initiatives. He noted that
this aims to create a large and highly-skilled human resource pool. “Guyana’s future will be
assured if we can continue to train and retain our human resources to propel our country’s
transformative agenda. You, the graduates of the class of 2020/2021, are integral to that future,”
he declared.