The University of Guyana - Leading the Way in Global Environmental Studies
The University of Guyana, now in its 58th year offers some of the most respected taught programmes in Biodiversity and the Environmental Studies in the world. These programmes are mainly offered out of its Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, run by the dynamic young lepidopterist, Dr Ghanpriyaa Maharaj, and the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences (FEES) currently under the Deanship of Dr Temitope Oyedotun. UG’s Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) also offer sustainable agriculture and sustainable tourism studies, respectively. In 2018-2019, the University under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Xi, Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin and her Senior Management Team (SMT), began its Blueprinting process which has created an initial document charting the path the University will take until 2040. That Blueprint 2040 places environmental responsibility, research and practice, and sustainability as core planks of its new problem-centric, student-focused, and futuristic design. Four items in the list of eleven focus areas are specific to environment and sustainability. These are sustainable tourism, sustainable aqua and agriculture, biodiversity and the environment and sustainable energy. There are also human resiliency systems, Informatics, Data Sciences and AI. It should be noted that the University churns out about 600 graduates from Guyana and across the world from the various environmental disciplines every year. Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity (CSBD) The University of Guyana’s Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity (CSBD) serves both the University and the Nation by fulfilling its three-fold mandate of; 1) engaging in and supporting the documentation of the biodiversity of Guyana,
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GREEN GUYANA - ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2) promotion of conservation efforts and sustainable management of Guyana’s biodiversity and, 3) biodiversity education. To achieve its mandate, the CSBD curates and maintains the nation’s largest research collection of flora and fauna. Its collection currently holds approximately 10,000 fishes, 700 amphibians, 300 reptiles, 350 mammals, 820 birds, over 20,000 insects, and 50,000 plant specimens. Furthermore, the CSBD also collaborates with the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission to monitor and manage the international exchange of genetic materials and specimens. To support its conservation and education mandate, the CSBD functions as a vehicle within Guyana for the development of a full range of educational, research and training programmes consistent with Guyana’s effort to conserve and sustainably manage its rich biodiversity. As such, the CSBD supports multiple biodiversity-based research projects within the country, offers educational tours and accommodates research within its collections, provides research grants to facilitate primary data collection by students, facilitates student volunteer and internship programmes, and offers several types of professional level short training courses. These courses are carried out in collaboration with local and international institutions and specifically focus on biodiversity assessment and monitoring, biodiversity and environmental data collection, analysis and interpretation and, scientific communication. These courses are open to faculty and students of the University and professionals. As such, they support the formal courses within various departments of the University and provides opportunities for Natural Resource Management professionals from various local organizations to gain additional requisite knowledge and develop contemporary skills within their various fields.
