<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRESIDENT&nbsp; to Keynote at University of Guyana-Caribbean Urban Forum’s&nbsp; 10</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size:0.6em;vertical-align:super;">th</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> International Conference&nbsp; from June 16th to 18th;&nbsp; Sixty-eight presentations; Hundreds of International Scholars to attend</span></span></p>

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Dr Ifraan Ali, himself with a Phd in Urban Planning, will keynote at The University of Guyana-Caribbean Urban Forum (CUF) 10</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size:0.6em;vertical-align:super;">th</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Urban forum which is to be held virtually from June 16th to 18th, 2021.&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This major annual regional urban planning networking event will bring together hundreds of urban planners, environmental experts, municipal managers, community developers, policymakers, academics, and allied professionals, who will address &nbsp;critical urban&nbsp; issues impacting the Region.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is being held under the theme; ‘Urbanisation: Processes, Policies, and Emerging Challenges’ and is designed to address specific policy issues within the Caribbean’s urban sector. It will not only support the collaborative efforts of planners in the&nbsp;Caribbean and wider Americas Region, but across the globe.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Co-hosts of the CUF include; the Caribbean Network for Urban and Land Management (CNULM) based at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago; the Central Housing and Planning Authority; The European Union, and other national, regional, and international organisations.&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The opening ceremony will be chaired by Dr. Temitope Oyedotun, Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Guyana, and key features of this session include the keynote address by His Excellency President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and remarks by Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin, Vice-Chancellor XI, University of Guyana.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8593ff6d-7fff-c984-3477-3facbd6a1009"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other speakers include; Ms Eleanor Mohammed, President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners, Dr Emanuel Cummings, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Engagement), University of Guyana and Chairman of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Dr Asad Mohammed, Co-Chair of the CUF and Director of </span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Caribbean Network of Urban and Land Management, Mr. William Ashby, Portfolio Manager, Economic Infrastructure Division, Caribbean Development Bank, and Ms Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, President of the Caribbean Planners Association.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is noteworthy to recall that it was President Ali who delivered the keynote address at the very first Caribbean Urban Forum session held in Georgetown, Guyana in April 2011 in his ministerial capacity as Minister of Housing and Water. The President&nbsp; &nbsp; therefore has played a key part in CUF from the very start.&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To register for the opening ceremony please click: </span><a href="https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iATX3G0WSZOXQlO2PxsDNA" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iATX3G0WSZOXQlO2PxsDNA</span></a></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the opening ceremony, the CUF sessions will largely be focused on technical presentations by experts in the field of urban planning and allied professions, along with several panel discussion sessions on various issues under the broad thematic area of ‘Urbanisation: Processes, Policies, and Emerging Challenges.’&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The focus of the conference is to confront the issue of urbanisation in the Caribbean context with a view to critically examine the range of policy responses to this&nbsp; phenomenon. The dialogue starts with the recognition that the Caribbean is one of the fastest urbanising regions in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-right: 5.1pt;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.7pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Participants are invited from the Caribbean, the Guyanese and Caribbean Diaspora communities, faculty members and students of the University of Guyana and other universities in the Caribbean region. The CUF also includes participants from other institutions/agencies such as UN-Habitat, the Caribbean Development Bank, and &nbsp; UN-ECLAC.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-right: 5.1pt;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.7pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As hosts of this conference,&nbsp; the University of Guyana is providing free Registration to interested persons. Please register by clicking on the following link:</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-right: 5.1pt;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.7pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://caribbeanurbanforum.uog.edu.gy/registration" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://caribbeanurbanforum.uog.edu.gy/registration</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-right: 5.1pt;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.7pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Groups, institutions, and individuals are encouraged to participate. The opportunity for engagement will be provided for persons working on projects and or who have ideas which they believe could be usefully applied for community and national&nbsp; development.&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-right: 5.1pt;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.7pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Conference is also open to members of the international community who are&nbsp;engaged in the teaching or practice of urban planning.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;margin-right: 5.1pt;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.7pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Caribbean Urban Forum builds on the principle of collaboration both at the&nbsp;regional and international levels. In this regard, regional agencies such as the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and CARICOM are usual CUF supporters. At the international level, usual support from organisations such as the European Union and UN-Habitat is also worthy of mention.&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.75pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2185ba23-7fff-9599-cc60-5891d6700882"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More details about the conference can be found on the conference website at: </span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-b7ca7b78-7fff-4c5e-5497-0c5d1281627c"><a href="https://caribbeanurbanforum.uog.edu.gy/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://caribbeanurbanforum.uog.edu.gy/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;text-align: justify;margin-top:5.75pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.295;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83bcc583-7fff-9b22-cca2-f96ad7c64cbe"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contact us:&nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.295;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83bcc583-7fff-9b22-cca2-f96ad7c64cbe"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conference Contacts: </span><a href="mailto:cuf@uog.edu.gy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cuf@uog.edu.gy</span></a></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.295;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83bcc583-7fff-9b22-cca2-f96ad7c64cbe"><a href="mailto:submissions.cuf@uog.edu.gy" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">submissions.cuf@uog.edu.gy</span></a></span></p>

<p class="rtecenter" dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.295;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><strong><span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">###</span></span></strong></p>

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<p class="rtecenter" dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83bcc583-7fff-9b22-cca2-f96ad7c64cbe"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UG IN BRIEF</span></span></p>

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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.7999999999999998;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83bcc583-7fff-9b22-cca2-f96ad7c64cbe"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The University of Guyana is the 58th year state University of Guyana. It offers 136 programmes in over 60 disciplines online and face-to-face in 8 campuses across Guyana. With a student population of now 10,000, UG has provided education, learning and research for over 50,000 alumni. The mission of the University is to discover, generate, disseminate and apply knowledge of the highest standard for the service of the community, the nation and of all mankind within an atmosphere of academic freedom that allows for free and critical inquiry. UG’s forward thinking </span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.7999999999999998;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.7999999999999998;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff4f0eb5-7fff-3126-d063-f756bc0b8284"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blueprint 2040 is currently setting the course for the University’s future design and institutional response to the changing needs of Guyana.</span></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff4f0eb5-7fff-3126-d063-f756bc0b8284"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Contact:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ms. Krest Cummings</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff4f0eb5-7fff-3126-d063-f756bc0b8284"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Public Relations Officer</span></span></p>

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.3800000000000001;text-align: justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff4f0eb5-7fff-3126-d063-f756bc0b8284"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">592-623-5104</span></span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ff4f0eb5-7fff-3126-d063-f756bc0b8284"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Department of Events Conferences and Communications (DECC)</span></span></p>

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