President Ali welcomes ExxonMobil’s US$100M STEM investment to power Guyana’s next generation

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali lauded ExxonMobil’s US$100 million investment to strengthen teacher training, expanding hands-on learning for students and creating clearer career pathways countrywide.

This landmark initiative is built on an interdisciplinary model known as STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and connects these core subjects to foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation.

The STEM programme aims to prepare students for real-world applications and careers, often including subjects such as robotics, coding, and biotechnology.

The initiative was unveiled on Monday at a dinner hosted by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali to commemorate Guyana’s 56th Republic Anniversary.

Speaking at the launch, President Ali said Guyana’s development depended on ensuring that the current and next generation are properly equipped to take the country forward.

“We have to ensure that the next generation of Guyanese, and this generation, are equipped with the necessary skills, training and knowledge to take Guyana forward,” he said.

He stated that education and training are central to the government’s long-term development strategy, which is being built on innovation, education and entrepreneurship.

“That pathway is better designed when you have a better-equipped and well-trained workforce,” the president added.

President Ali praised ExxonMobil for supporting the STEM initiative, saying the investment reflected a strong alignment between the company’s vision and the government’s development agenda.

He also said the partnership aimed to demonstrate a balanced model of oil and gas development, one that supports economic transformation while recognising environmental responsibilities and promoting sustainable growth across other sectors of the economy.

As part of the programme, a dedicated STEM centre will be constructed at the University of Guyana campus, with the physical facility expected to be completed by 2028.

Preparatory work, like creating the curriculum and training teachers, will start well before that.

The president said the university location was chosen to expose children to a campus environment from an early age. At the same time, the Ministry of Education will lead programmes to train teachers and instructors nationwide.

ExxonMobil’s Chief Executive Officer, Darren Woods, said the initiative reflected the company’s long-term commitment to Guyana’s development.

He said that while the company was focused on responsibly developing Guyana’s offshore oil and gas resources, it was equally committed to ensuring those resources created opportunities onshore.

He further announced that later this year, ExxonMobil will roll out a comprehensive secondary-level mathematics and science teacher training programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the University of Guyana.

The company also plans to establish a nationwide network of STEM centres for students, with the first to be opened in Georgetown.

The centres will offer practical, hands-on learning opportunities for teenagers and young adults and are modelled on the ExxonMobil Foundation Teen Engineering and Tech Centre in Spring, Texas. President Ali was given a tour of the centre during the annual CERAWeek energy conference in Houston in 2025.

The CEO said the initiative aims to train thousands of educators and reach tens of thousands of students over the next decade, strengthening Guyana’s STEM capacity and preparing a new generation of engineers and scientists.