The University of Guyana (UG) has announced its 2024 list of outstanding Guyanese in the fields of science, business, the arts, and education who will be awarded honorary doctorates at this year’s convocation, marking its fourth annual honorary degree conferral.
Recognizing outstanding graduates and leaders in a variety of professions, the prizes will be given out during the 58th Convocation, which takes place from November 7–16. Among the recipients are Sir Ronald Ramjattan, the founder of Barron Foods and a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Natural Sciences; Dr. Narendra Chetram Singh, a surgeon and medical pioneer from Toronto; Mr. Arif Ali, the founder of Hansib Publishing; and Prof. Ian Robertson, a specialist in linguistics and language.
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Victor Compton Insanally, a philanthropist and businessman; Christopher Fernandes, a leader in the shipping industry; Ralph Bazilio, a specialist in finance and management; Ann Greene, a child rights advocate; Patrick Parbhu Dial, a historian and consumer advocate; Eze Rockcliffe, a renowned musician and cultural enthusiast; and Pauline Thomas, popularly known as “Auntie Comesee,” are among the other recipients.
The institution further clarified that a year-long procedure is used to choose candidates for the honorary doctorates. Honorary doctorate nominations are submitted through a university academic division at least a year before the award to allow for background study, the five approval stages, and shortlisting. According to the institution, the recipients of this symbolic gesture of excellence must have been nominated and must be outstanding examples of decades of continuous achievement in their respective fields of service.
Among the most reputable food technologists and chemists is Sir Ronald Ramjattan. He founded Baron Foods Ltd. and serves as its CEO. The Muslim Education Trust College in Brickdam, Georgetown, was where Sir Ramjattan started his academic career. His love for chemistry brought him to the University of Guyana, where he graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Mr. Ramjattan began working as a chemist with GUYSUCO before becoming a food technologist at Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Ltd. in Guyana. After being sent to oversee the business’s activities in Saint Lucia, he took the risky move to start his own business, Baron Foods Ltd., there in 1991.
Under the inspiring direction of Ronald Ramjattan, Baron Foods Ltd. has grown to become the Eastern Caribbean’s biggest producer of food-processing goods. With a range of more than 165 award-winning culinary items, the firm currently sells to international and Caribbean markets.
Among the many honors bestowed upon this renowned businessman are the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” 1999 Award and the Businessperson of the Year 1999 Award. He also received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in November 2014 from Queen Elizabeth II. An honorary degree for Excellence in Science will be given to Ramjattan, a well-known philanthropist, on Thursday, November 7th at a ceremony at 4 p.m.
At the South Texas Health System, Dr. Narendra Singh serves as the Director of Pediatric Critical Care Services. His other role is that of Strategic Advisor to the Guyana Health Minister. He served as the Chief of Staff at Toronto’s Humber River Hospital until his retirement in 2018.
Additionally, Dr. Singh is an Associate Clinical Professor in the McMaster University Faculty of Medicine and the Program Director for the Pediatric Post Graduate Program at the University of Guyana/Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. In order to alleviate Guyana’s high rates of neonatal and infant mortality, he established Guyana Help the Kids in 2009.
Among the many honors bestowed upon Dr. Singh are the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Prix d’excellence (Specialist of the Year) and the Meritorious Service Medal of Canada. At the event on Saturday, November 9 at 4 p.m., he will receive an honorary degree for Excellence in Medicine.
As a newspaper publisher, Arif Ali has been publishing for and about the Caribbean in the United Kingdom for more than 50 years. In 1973, he acquired West Indian World, and under his editorship, the publication flourished while advocating for various educational issues that affected black schoolchildren in Britain. Ali then went on to further engage and communicate with the Caribbean, African, and Asian communities by founding the Asian Digest (August 1980), the newspapers Caribbean Times (1981), Asian Times (1983), and African Times (1985), as well as Root Magazine (1987).
Hansib is still “the biggest and most diverse black book publisher in Britain” after Ali left his media businesses in 1997 to focus on book production. The 2024 Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for Distinguished Service to Caribbean Letters is one of the several honors he has received for his service. The ceremony honoring Mr. Ali’s honorary degree for Excellence in Literature is scheduled for Friday, November 8th at 4 p.m.
Professor Ian Robertson attended Queens College for his secondary education before continuing on to the University of the West Indies, Mona, where he earned a Special Honours degree in English. His Ph. D. in Linguistics was finished at the University of St. Augustine campus when he returned.
Prof. Robertson spent more than 40 years working in the educational systems of Trinidad and Jamaica and Guyana. In addition, he has been actively involved in the Caribbean Examinations Council’s activities, serving as the chair of the syllabus creation committee for the CAPE Communication Studies and as assistant chief examiner on the CSEC English panel.
His scholarly contributions have addressed a variety of topics, such as English Language Education in the Caribbean, Creole Linguistics, and Caribbean Oral Traditions.
“In the world of Creole linguistics, he will be best remembered as the rediscoverer of Dutch-lexicon Creole in Guyana. His rediscovery of Berbice Dutch was not fortuitous. His personal exploration of the documented history of the language and the geography of Guyana convinced him that the language could not be extinct before he undertook the quest to find speakers. He applied his linguistic work to the educational needs of speakers of Creole languages at the level of teacher education through his face-to-face teaching and through his publications, both as sole author and in collaboration with other distinguished scholars”.
The event will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 9th, when Prof. Robertson will receive an honorary degree for Excellence in Literature and Linguistics.
Patriarch of the Fernandes line, multinational shipping tycoon, and servant leader, Mr. John Fernandes has extensive expertise in business and administration, as well as in Guyana’s social, cultural, humanitarian, and sporting spheres. He completed his postsecondary studies at Pennsylvania State University and the Irish Management Institute. He presently serves as the John Fernandes Group of Companies’ chairman.
Additionally, from 2003 until 2010, Chris Fernandes was Germany’s Honorary Counsel to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. From 1995 until 2002, he served as Guyana Inc.’s first president. For the Caribbean Shipping Association, he served as chairman as well.
For his extensive and devoted work in the shipping and commerce industries, he was granted the Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA) medal in 2002. In addition, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 in recognition of his remarkable achievements and important contributions to the business community and society at large. At the event on November 7, at 9 a.m., he will receive an honorary degree for Excellence in Business, Sports, Education, and Civic Engagement.
Ann Greene has worked in Guyana’s public service for more than 45 years as a career social worker. Before rising to the position of Chief Probation Officer and then Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CCPA), she worked for several years as an administrative staff member in Guyana’s social services department before transitioning to a probation and welfare officer position.
In 2011, Greene was awarded the Order of Service of Guyana for his lengthy service and outstanding commitment to the probation and welfare department. For her tireless efforts to advance and defend children’s rights in Guyana, she was also honored with numerous honors, including the European Union Human Rights Award. November 9th, at 4 p.m., Greene will receive an honorary degree for Excellence in Children’s Welfare, Protection, Social Services, and Professional Development.
Ralph Bazilio has worked as a certified public accountant in the United States for more than 37 years. Providing audit, accounting, financial, and management advice services, he has established a successful career. Bazilio has led both companies to prominence in the accounting and consulting industries as the managing partner of Watson Rice LLP and the CEO of Bazilio Cobb Associates. He has shown remarkable leadership and ability in both roles.
In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), Bazilio holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of the District of Columbia. At 4 p.m. on October 8, he will be presented with an honorary degree for Excellence in Business, Sports, Education, and Civic Engagement.Pat Dial works as a historian. Over several decades, he held a variety of positions in the public sector, including Executive Director of the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB), which subsequently became the National Broadcast Authority, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Culture.
Additionally, he taught history and Caribbean studies at the University of Guyana for many years. Mr. Dial is now the President of the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) and has been involved in consumer advocacy for many years. In his capacity as a Justice of Peace (JP), he aids citizens. He received the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) and the Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA) for his outstanding effort and commitment to Guyana’s national development. At nine in the morning on November 7th, Mr. Dial will be presented with an honorary degree for Excellence in History.
Throughout his lengthy and distinguished career, Victor Insanally has significantly impacted Guyana’s public life, arts, and culture. He has led the way in Guyanese charity, public relations, arts, and culture. His contributions to Guyana’s artistic and civic life are unmatched, especially as a renowned broadcaster, cultural figure, and trailblazing businessman. His dedication to the betterment of Guyanese children via the Tina Insanally Foundation is another example of his desire to use his skills and connections for the benefit of society.
He was just given the 2023 Icon of the Arts Award for Marketing and Promotion of the Creative Spirit by the Theatre Guild of Guyana in honor of his outstanding contributions to the arts. For his exceptional contributions to the nation, he received the Cacique Crown of Honour in 1998. He will be presented with an honorary degree for excellence in business and entrepreneurship on November 8th at a ceremony that begins at 9 a.m.
An icon of culture is Eze Rockcliffe. The Yoruba Singers, originally known as the “Kitty Young Ascrians,” have him as their lead singer. For more over five years, the band has had several noteworthy achievements because of Rockliffe’s extraordinary talent and leadership. The band is by far the longest-running group of its sort in the nation since it has never disbanded. As the first musical group or ensemble from Guyana to have the privilege of performing at the renowned Maddison Square Garden in 1983 alongside the Mighty Sparrow and the late Lord Kitchener, it is also the first to have performed at nearly every iteration of the Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (Carifesta).
Over 100 songs have been recorded by Rockcliffe and the Yoruba Singers, most of which are original compositions. When the event takes place on Saturday, November 9th at 9am, Rockliffe will receive an honorary doctorate degree for Excellence in Performing Arts, Music, and Culture.
Known fondly as “Auntie Comesee,” Pauline Thomas is 102 years old and a living legend. Her name strikes a profound chord in the fields of folklore, storytelling, and cultural preservation. The artistic community in Guyana has benefited from her legacy, which has also had an impact on the larger Caribbean diaspora.
Thomas gained significant acclaim for her ability to combine humor, tragedy, and cultural subtlety in her roles, and her compelling performances at the Theatre Guild of Guyana established the bar for stage acting in the nation. But her role as “Auntie Comesee” on the radio was what really cemented her reputation as a national treasure.
Numerous distinguished honors and recognitions, both domestically and abroad, have been given to Thomas in appreciation of his contributions to Guyanese art. Among her most noteworthy honors are the Guyana Awards (Canada) for Media and Culture, the Guyanese Artistic Music Awards (GAMA) Storyteller and Actor Award (2008), the Guyana Folk Festival Award from the Guyana Cultural Association of New York (2007), and the African Canadian Achievement Award in Arts (2000). She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in World Religion and Fine Arts Studio at the impressive age of 79. On Friday, November 8th, during a ceremony at 9 a.m., Ms. Thomas will be awarded an honorary degree for Excellence in Performance, Arts, and Letters.
In the University’s 61-year existence, these recipients join just 21 previous honorary doctorates that have been granted.
