The University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) recently held its award ceremony for the Campus’ 25 Anniversary Logo and Theme competition in which the various winners were presented with certificates and prizes. The competition which was open to students, staff and the general public earlier this year saw several creative and thought-provoking submissions being made in both categories.
University of Guyana which is now celebrating its 60th anniversary, established the UGBC Campus in 2000. In 2025, the Campus will celebrate its 25th anniversary and several signature events and activities are being planned to mark the milestone. These activities and events will commence in 2024 and culminate with an international multidisciplinary conference to be held in 2025.
In a release the university said Mr. Davindranauth Sewnauth, one of the Computer Technicians attached to the UGBC Computer Lab copped the first place in the Theme Competition and Mr. Sigmund Griffith, an alum from the UG Class of 2009, emerged as the first place winner in the Logo Competition.
Mr. Sewnauth explained that the Theme; “Igniting Minds, Inspiring Futures: Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence” represents a momentous milestone in the campus’ history, encapsulating the transformative journey it has undertaken since the Campus was established. This theme serves as a powerful symbol of the campus’s dedication to igniting the flames of curiosity within students, inspiring them to embark on a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. It reflects the campus’ unwavering commitment to academic excellence, fostering an environment that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and intellectual exploration. Through this theme, UGBC invites its community to unite in a joyous celebration, acknowledging achievements and collectively envisioning a future brimming with boundless possibilities for all.
Meanwhile, according to the explanation provided by Mr Griffith, the logo celebrates UGBC’s 25th anniversary, encapsulating a sense of the university’s rich past and promising future. A gold ’25’ is nested in an open book, the gold representing the anniversary milestone, and the book symbolising knowledge and academia. The base is a green Victoria Amazonica, reflecting Guyana’s natural wealth and greenery, bordered by 2 quills, underlying intellectual pursuits. The logo is further enhanced by the encompassing words ‘University of Guyana Berbice Campus’ and rounding the emblem on the occasion. This design merges tradition with innovation, epitomising UGBC’s commitment to educational excellence and community engagement.
In delivering brief remarks at the event, Director of the UGBC Prof. Gomathinayagam Subramanian said that the UGBC is very pleased to have hosted the competition and thanked all those who participated, noting that the entries were all very creative and inspiring. He urged those who participated in the competition to keep on exploring their creative abilities.
The chair for the UGBC 25th Anniversary Committee, Ms. Somattie Sayrange presented a synopsis on the competition and shared that several exciting events and activities will be hosted by the Campus to mark its 25th anniversary. She noted that these activities and events will be publicised soon and is hoping for widespread support and participation of all stakeholders.
The judges for the Logo Competition were; Mr. Philbert Gajadhar, Lecturer, Department of Language and Cultural Studies, Ms. Nelsonia Budhram, Lecturer, Centre for Communication Studies and Ms. Camanie Khedaroo, Head of the Division of Education and Humanities, UGBC. The judges for the Theme Competition were; Dr. Dennis Gill, Lecturer in the Division of Education and Humanities, Dr. Angelina Autar, Lecturer within the Division of Social Sciences and Mr. Alim Hosein, Lecturer within the Department of Language and Cultural Studies.
At the award ceremony, the Anniversary Committee, in observance of the Campus’ 23rd anniversary, hosted a cake cutting activity to mark the occasion. The cutting of the cake was done by Mr. Rajkumar Sookraj, an alum from the first batch of students from the year 2000 and currently a lecturer within the Division of Education and Humanities and Ms. Melisande Fraser, currently serving as Academic Advisor at the Campus. Ms. Fraser has been an employee when the Campus was first established.
The List of the winners in the Logo and Theme Competition.
| Competition | Winners |
| Logo | Mr. Sigmund Griffith – 1st place
Mr. Nicolas Sagadaya – 2nd Place Mr. Temi Anjola – 3rd place |
| Theme | Mr. Davindranauth Sewnauth – 1st place
Tryanna Anderson- 2nd place Mr. Alicia Henry- West – 3rd place |
Ever since its establishment over twenty-three years ago, the Campus has made tremendous strides in many areas of its programme and service delivery and research to meet the growing demand for specialised skills and knowledge in various areas of national development. From offering only two-year undergraduate certificate programmes when it was first set up, the UGBC has grown exponentially over the years and is now offering a suite of programmes at the certificate and first degree levels, and will soon offer Masters degrees. The six divisions offering these programmes are; the Division of Natural Sciences, Division of Agriculture and Forestry, Division of Education and Humanities, Division of Social Sciences, School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) and College of Medical Sciences.
Director Prof. Subramanian, during a recent interview with the UG’s Public Relations Department boasted of the UGBC’s accomplishments since it was first set up more than two decades ago. He expressed his optimism that the institution will continue to grow, in terms of the programmes it is offering, its research focus and expanding and modernising the physical plant.
The Director noted that UGBC has seen a success rate of approximately 80% in all of its areas of specialities. He explained that this is due mainly to the dedication of the staff of the Campus to ensure that students’ success is the number one priority. “At UGBC, we are committed to ensuring our students come here and get a well-rounded education and that they leave here as better human beings who are responsible and ready to tackle the challenges confronting Guyana and the world,” Prof Gomes said.
According to Prof. Gomes, the support received from the private sector over the years has also allowed the University to do much more for its students and the community as a whole. He explained that the private sector, namely the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Training Centre, and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), among other entities, have all partnered with UGBC over the years to provide resources – both technical and material – to allow both students and staff to benefit from a hands-on approach to learning.
The Director further noted that the UGBC is making moves to strengthen its research capabilities with several staff members currently engaged in various research projects. He further noted that with the addition of the state-of-the-art soil and plant testing laboratory at the Johns’ Science Centre, an annex of the UGBC, in 2019, the scope for research in the areas of Natural Sciences and Agriculture is vast.
