President Dr Irfaan Ali, was on Thursday honoured for his hard work, dedication, and responsible approach to leadership and development with an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy and Management Studies.
The degree was conferred to him by his alma mater, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, India during a special ceremony.
He was lauded as a role model for the partnerships he has created, his human resource management capability, and his commitment to continuous development.
In his address, President Ali thanked his lecturers, who motivated him to remain committed to his pursuit of education, as well as colleagues and friends met during his tenure at the university, for playing major roles in his development into the person he is today.
He also expressed thanks for the values instilled in him through the university, by the people of India.
“The Indian education system is not easy. It requires discipline and education. It is not a system in which you can operate in the way you think is best. It is a highly disciplined environment. But within that highly disciplined environment. It taught us to be better humans. The education we received was not only academic, it was life-changing. It was preparing great minds to do great things in the humblest of ways,” the President explained.
His time spent at Guru Gobind Singh university also reinforced the need for, and meaning of humility, as well as respect for elders and each other, he added.
Dr Ali went on to praise India’s culture and nature of selflessness, noting that despite various challenges, the country continued to demonstrate its ability to be a positive change and light amidst the worldwide challenges.
“We live in a world of changes, a world that presents many challenges, food security, climate security, energy security, a world that is still filled with inequality and injustice… when the world isolated itself during COVID, and held on to whatever vaccine it had, with a large population, and the same challenges the rest of the world faced, what did you do? You turned to the spirit of humanity and you extended to the world whatever little you had,” President Ali said.
This, he said, demonstrates India’s developed mindset, mature society, leadership in humanity, and dedication to making a difference.
PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION
President Ali also announced plans for Guyanese students for a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed with the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University for Guyanese to benefit from their online classes.
This, he said, will be done after the university completes its facility for conducting online classes.
It was also announced that 10 low-income Guyanese students will benefit from scholarships to study at the university, in keeping with President Ali’s commitment to partner with the school for the education of more Guyanese.
Currently, multiple other universities in India offer education to Guyanese through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
GOAL is an online university platform launched by the government in 2021 that connects Guyanese with universities across the world for equal access to tertiary education.
The government will also continue to collaborate with India in the fields of health, engineering, petroleum, nursing, medical technology, and pharmacy, among others. [DPI]
