The Nations University saw 305 students graduating on Saturday and they were encouraged to not be distracted by the noise of the world and instead focus on their goals, embrace their potential and rise above life’s distractions to achieve greatness.
The charge was delivered by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, and aimed to inspire the group graduating with disciplines in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Oil and Gas Management, Human Resource Management, General Business Administration, Law, Project Management, Education, Engineering and Welding to strive and excel locally and internationally, given that they are now certified through the University of Bedfordshire, University of London, City and Guilds, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, ABE, and ABMA.
On this point, they were also urged to plan ahead utilising the power of imagination as fuel to turn aspirations into reality.
“You can imagine everything, every day you should be imagining that future. It happens if you imagine it long enough in life because it is a stimulus to work for it. And so, when I wake up, I think not today, I’m seeing that 10 years from now where we would be… the power of imagination is unbelievable”.
“That’s why when people push us to make popular decisions which may sound good today but would not ensure sustained prosperity in the future as a Government or a party, we fight it off. Although people may not understand why we do that, it may seem optimal, it may seem obvious that you do it today. But if you don’t have a long-term vision if you don’t have a guiding light, then you can lose your way in life and where you want to take your country or your own career,” Jagdeo said.
The Vice President has pledged to meet with the graduates privately and interact with them more about future opportunities.
Jagdeo explained that local manpower is needed in the oil and gas industry, as well as health science education.
As it relates to the O&G sector, individuals were encouraged to join the many businesses providing local services to international companies here.
“We passed the local content law which now forces the oil and gas company; in fact, it makes it illegal for them not to hire Guyanese if they’re requisite skills here, to pay them comparable pay as the foreigners and to procure goods and services from our people in a number of sectors where they’re carve-outs for Guyanese. As a result of that law, which we advocated for in Opposition and passed when we got into Government, today the Guyanese businesses, about 1,000 small businesses in Guyana, are going to end up with procurement opportunities of 700 million US dollars this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the topic of investing in health science education VP stated, “In the areas of education and health care, we’ve removed the corporate tax. So, if you invest in education and health care, because I hope that some of you will not just go to work for someone, that you want to start your own business because ultimately, I think that’s the future where you can have the most rapid increase in wealth formation at the individual level. But we’ve removed the corporate tax from these two sectors. So, if you invest in education today or any health facility, you don’t pay any corporate tax.”
Also delivering remarks was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nations Incorporated Dexter Phillips, who announced the launch of the Nations International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies – a peer-reviewed, cross-rep, open-access publication.
According to Phillips, this journal provides a platform for faculty, students, researchers and practitioners to share their valuable research work and academic insights with a broader audience.
“You brought invaluable perspectives from boardrooms, lessons from real-world challenges and insights from years of professional experience, elevating the learning experience for everyone around you. This dual commitment speaks volumes of your dedication to continuous improvement, irrespective of the successes you might have already achieved in your professional lives. Then, there are those of you who embarked on this journey straight out of school or without any prior work experience” Phillips said.
The CEO also implored the graduating class to reflect on their challenges and utilise past lessons to guide them.
“To the graduating class, Class of 2024, today we celebrate not just your academic achievements, but also the extraordinary effort it took to balance the demands of education with the responsibilities of professional and personal life.”
“The true value of your education is reflected in the impact you create, the challenges you tackle and the lives you touch. Use these various academic and professional qualifications you’re receiving today as tools to break barriers, push boundaries and build bridges that connect people, ideas and possibilities… Let them guide you to lead with integrity, act with empathy and inspire others to dream bigger and achieve more. Congratulations, and may the road rise up to meet you and the winds be always at your back. Go forth with knowledge, confidence and passion to change the world in ways that matter” he added.
