Pres Ali eyes free UG online education for diaspora

Guyanese living overseas could soon benefit from free online programmes offered by the University of Guyana (UG), as the government advances plans to extend tertiary education opportunities to the diaspora.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the announcement on Tuesday evening while engaging members of the Guyanese diaspora in Saint Lucia, where he outlined the government’s vision of ensuring Guyanese abroad remain connected to the country’s development.

The president said the initiative builds on the government’s investments in education, including free tuition at the University of Guyana and the expansion of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.

“We want to be able also to move to a position where our online platform at the University of Guyana can be available to our diaspora, wherever they are.”

President Ali explained that the vision is for Guyanese overseas, including their children, to access online degree programmes at no cost, just as students in Guyana currently benefit from free tertiary education.

The head of state noted that education remains a cornerstone of the government’s development agenda and highlighted several transformative initiatives implemented over the past few years.

He pointed to the removal of tuition fees at the University of Guyana, and the continued growth of the GOAL scholarship programme, which now partners with more than 40 international institutions and the digitisation of teacher training programmes to improve access to professional development.

The president also highlighted Guyana’s growing capacity in higher education and research, noting that the country recently celebrated the graduation of more than 30 doctoral graduates through the GOAL programme.

Expanding access to online university programmes for the diaspora forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen ties with Guyanese living abroad while ensuring they can benefit from the country’s educational advancements regardless of where they reside. (Republished from DPI)