<p><strong>UG’s Institute for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship<br />
Graduate 23 Students From First Business Encounter Training<br />
Programme</strong><br />
&nbsp;<br />
The University of Guyana’s Institute for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship<br />
(UGIRIE) on Saturday, June 27, 2021, hosted a graduation ceremony for twenty<br />
three (23) students who participated in a twelve week Business Encounter Training<br />
programme which served to equip them with the skills and competencies needed to<br />
design and establish businesses that are innovative and highly competitive.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
During the virtual ceremony which was aired via Zoom, several of the participants<br />
were awarded for their innovative and cutting-edge business projects, some of which<br />
have now become household names in Guyana and will penetrate regional markets in<br />
the coming months. Those receiving awards included: Ms. Finella Martin-Lee,<br />
Messrs Michael Lewis, Nawaz Haniff, Ms. Ashli Marks, Ronaldo Venture School of Entrepreneurship &amp; Business Innovation, Mr. David Forde, Faculty of Engineering &amp;amp;<br />
Technology, Ms. Farzana Baksh, School of Pharmacy, and Mr Raeburn Jones,<br />
Faculty of Agriculture &amp;amp; Forestry/ Entrepreneur, Mocha-Arcadia Multi-Purpose<br />
Cooperative.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
University of Guyana, Vice-Chancellor, XI, Prof Paloma Mohamed Martin, in her<br />
remarks noted that the University’s Blueprint 2040 is coming alive with the<br />
implementation of the UG’s Institute for Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship<br />
(UGIRIE) programme. She cited two areas - Innovation and Entrepreneurship –<br />
which are specific to Goals 2 and 4 of UG’s Blueprint 2040 and observed that the<br />
URIRIE Business Encounter Training programme is a small step but a very<br />
important one in the journey towards UG realising the aspirational goals of the<br />
University’s Blueprint.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The VC highlighted that UG is totally focused on creating ‘Citizen Success’. “With this<br />
initiative, it becomes more than just technical competence for our graduates, it<br />
becomes a matter of modelling for them what success, good behaviour, good values,<br />
etiquette in class and online etiquette look like. Since 60% of learning happens<br />
through observation so it becomes important for facilitators and mentors to help<br />
model for and guide our young people,” Prof Martin expounded.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
UGIRIE’s Founding Director and former Dean of UG’s Faculty of Agriculture and<br />
Forestry, Prof. Pat Francis recalled that when the project first started it was unsure<br />
where the resources would have come from to ensure its sustainability. However, she<br />
expressed that at UG, there is a vision to support and develop young entrepreneurs<br />
as this is what is needed in Guyana, hence all efforts were made to ensure that the<br />
project received the financial backing from various partners the greatest of which<br />
were the partners of the Greater Guyana Initiative.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Prof. Francis further noted that the research being done as well as the courses and<br />
workshops being offered by the UGIRIE will be streamlined as electives and will<br />
eventually find their way into the curriculum of the university following due<br />
academic process. She added: “Our students are bright; they have what it takes to be<br />
innovators. Give the young people a chance so that Guyana can move from businesses being buying and selling to a people who are innovating and bringing in<br />
foreign exchange into the country.”<br />
&nbsp;<br />
“Our students must be exposed to other countries and facilities that will stimulate<br />
their ideas, so as to bridge the gap that exists…If as a nation we are going to meet the<br />
needs of the next century, we must ensure that graduates do not leave UG looking for<br />
jobs but rather to have them graduate as innovators creating jobs. That is, they must<br />
put their talent, mental, and physical energies to work for Guyana,” Prof. Francis<br />
urged.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The UGIRIE project is a beneficiary of the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), which is<br />
funded by the Stabroek Block co-venturers ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC. The<br />
$20-billion-dollar commitment, is geared at building human capacity and supporting<br />
sustainable and diversified economic growth across Guyana. The University of<br />
Guyana is one of 5 major partners in the initiative and has since benefitted<br />
tremendously in several areas of academic and institutional advancement.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Mr. Matthew Scharf, Senior Public &amp;amp; Government Affairs Advisor at ExxonMobil<br />
Guyana noted that the company has continuously supported various initiatives from<br />
the University of Guyana since 2015 as they contribute to national development.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Camex Restaurants Inc., Executive Director, Dr. Terrence Campbell in his remarks<br />
acknowledged that the University of Guyana has a pivotal role to play in Guyana’s<br />
development, so consequently, the efforts by UGIRIE to share and transfer business<br />
skills with young entrepreneurs from different backgrounds are both critical and<br />
timely.</p>

<p>International Business Consultant and Entrepreneurship Development Specialist,<br />
Ms. Yvonne Mattis, gave a detailed overview of the Business Encounter<br />
initiative. Ms. Mattis also served as the UGIRIE Workshop Programme Consultant.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
University of Guyana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Dean (Designate), Dr Paulette<br />
Henry, who has led the development of national professional standards for social<br />
work practice in Guyana distributed the certificates to the participants.<br />
The UGIRIE was birthed in 2019 by Prof. Patsy Francis, Director and former Dean of<br />
UG’s&nbsp; Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. The initiative focuses on upscaling UG’s<br />
award-winning, student and staff innovation concepts which facilitates the expansion<br />
of business opportunities. Programmes and courses offer practical approaches for<br />
establishing, accelerating and scaling up UGs research and innovations to<br />
businesses. UGIRIE focuses on concepts that are grounded in good science and<br />
technology.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
University of Guyana, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Institutional Advancement,<br />
Dr. Mellissa Ifill eloquently moderated the simple but significant ceremony.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="rtecenter"><strong>UG IN BRIEF</strong></p>

<p>The University of Guyana is the 58th year state University of Guyana. It offers 136<br />
programmes in over 60 disciplines online and face-to-face in 8 campuses across<br />
Guyana. With a student population of now 10,000, UG has provided education,<br />
learning and research for over 50,000 alumni. The mission of the University is to<br />
discover, generate, disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the<br />
service of the community, the nation and of all mankind within an atmosphere of<br />
academic freedom that allows for free and critical inquiry. UG’s forward thinking<br />
Blueprint 2040 is currently setting the course for the University’s future design and<br />
institutional response to the changing needs of Guyana.</p>

<p><strong>Contact:</strong><br />
Ms. Krest Cummings<br />
Public Relations Officer<br />
Department of Events Conferences and Communications (DECC)<br />
592-623-5104</p>

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