SVG, Guyana to exchange scholarship opportunities

Vincentian students should soon be the recipients of scholarships to attend universities in the South American nation of Guyana.{{more}}

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, indicated that officials have agreed in principle that students from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Guyana will exchange scholarship opportunities at educational institutions in various subject areas.

Gonsalves was speaking hours after he returned from a two-day visit to that Caricom country.

“I put the proposal to them in relation to training young people,” the Prime Minister said.

“I could take ten, twelve, fifteen Guyanese students up here in the nursing, the technical division, wherever in our system, [and] we can send down there….

“….And right now they want me to send six people to do a programme at the Guyana School of Agriculture in several different diplomas….”

The Prime Minister said that the programmes offered by the institution include agriculture, livestock production and management, animal health and veterinary, public health, fisheries, forestry, and agro processing, among others.

He said that these students, between five and six, should possess at least one science subject, ranging from biology, chemistry, physics, agricultural or integrated science, and the mandatory English language.

“We will give the students a stipend to help them while they are there; they will go a week late, this lot, if not and they want to go next year, that’s fine with me,” Gonsalves stated.

“It’s now up to the public servants to work out the details.”

The Prime Minister indicated that talks were also being held on various topics, apart from education.

He said that while there, he met with officials relating to tourism, agriculture and commerce, and he was looking forward to seeing investors from Guyana venture to these shores.

“I suggested to them that we examine the matter of they getting involved as an equity partner in LIAT…. LIAT has to look at going to Suriname and Brazil, as part of the vision of LIAT’s expansion.

“I want for us to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. There are things that we can do together and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Gonsalves also visited the CARICOM Secretariat, where he met and held talks with officials. He is slated to take up the chairmanship of the organization in January, next year.(JJ)