History was created on Saturday at the hosting of the 52nd Convocation of the Turkeyen campus when the University of Guyana Academic Board, unanimously adopted the proposal to confer the university’s first honorary doctorate degrees upon four outstanding Guyanese.
Chancellor of the University, Professor Eon Nigel Harris said that the recognition of individuals who have distinguished themselves through their diverse accomplishments and exemplary service with the award of honorary degrees is a University tradition that dates to the Middle Ages.
“I share the delight of our University of Guyana in initiating these awards. It represents yet another step in the transformative growth of our University” Harris underscored.
The honorary degree recipients that were conferred with the Doctor of Letters (DLitt) have all made their mark in their respective fields of music, business, philanthropy and Indigenous rights respectively.
At the ceremony Edmond (Eddy) Grant was conferred for excellence in music and civic engagement, Dr Yesu Persaud for iconic leadership in business and banking, Jairaj Sobhraj for excellence in entrepreneurship and philanthropy and Laura George for outstanding community development and advocacy.
It was outlined that the honorary doctorates are being bestowed in accordance with the University of Guyana which grants the University the legal authority to confer Honorary Degrees and other distinctions, provided that all degrees and other distinctions so conferred shall be conferred and held subject to any provision which are or may be made in reference thereto by the university.
Moreover, one of the powers of Academic Board is to make recommendation to the Council with respect to the award to any person of an Honorary Fellowship or Honorary Degree or title of Professor Emeritus. The current proposal had successfully passed through all previous vetting procedures.
University Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith noted that this historic conferral is part of the Renaissance pursuits of the University, which entails rebuilding and rebranding the University, central to which is celebrating exemplars of excellence in order to inspire young and not-so-young citizens. “I am honored to have the opportunity to place the spotlight on these four outstanding citizens.”
The honorees’ will join more than 1,700 students from Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Education and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the School of Entrepreneurship who will be conferred with degrees, diplomas and certificates.
