‘Graduates drive Guyana’s transformation’ – President Ali

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has praised the University of Guyana’s (UG) 2025 graduating class as vital contributors to the nation’s ongoing transformation, declaring that the real engine of this transformation is not oil or investment but its people.

In his congratulatory message, President Ali stated that Guyana is undergoing a historic transformation marked by rapid economic growth, expanding infrastructure, and sweeping social progress.

The president said that the success of Guyana’s future will ultimately depend on its human capital, noting that:

“Transformation demands skills. Development depends on people who are accomplished, qualified, and future-ready,” noting that Guyana needs “engineers and educators, innovators and entrepreneurs, health professionals and policy thinkers to sustain its momentum.”

President Ali highlighted the government’s introduction of free tertiary education at UG, calling it a bold step in our journey and a nation-building investment.

He said free education ensures that no capable mind is left behind and that every Guyanese, regardless of background, can aspire to higher learning.

According to the president, a world-class university is not measured by its enrollment figures, but by the impact of its graduates. Therefore, he said free education must prepare graduates for a modern, industrial, knowledge-driven Guyana.

Emphasising the need for lifelong learning, President Ali reminded the graduates that the world they are entering is changing faster than ever, and the greatest skill today is the ability to keep learning, adapting, and growing, and added that upskilling is not just a professional advantage, it is a national imperative.

Dr Ali urged the Class of 2025 to embrace their role in shaping a globally competitive and technologically advanced workforce. He implored that they are the generation that will shape the workforce of a new Guyana, one that is modern, competent, and responsible.

The president affirmed that the future will be written by those who remain curious, innovative, and committed to service.

“Your education has empowered you. Now let your learning empower others. Let your curiosity drive change. Let your ideas move Guyana forward,” he stated.

President Ali concluded with an inspiring charge to the graduates.

He said, “you are the heartbeat of a new and modern Guyana, educated, empowered, and ever evolving. Keep learning, keep growing, keep transforming…The future is not just before you, it will be built by you.“