Guyana is moving toward establishing a specialised Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) school, with President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali pointing to a partnership with Exxon as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity in specialised education.
President Ali made the disclosure during a sit-down interview with journalist Fareeza Haniff, as he outlined his vision for the next phase of Guyana’s development and the need to build the human resources required to sustain the country’s transformation.
He identified specialised STEM education as part of the broader investments needed to prepare Guyanese for emerging opportunities and ensure the country develops the technical capacity to support its expanding economy.
“Soon we’ll be thoroughly sought for the building of a STEM, specialised STEM school with Exxon. Only a few of those in the world,” President Ali said.
The proposed initiative forms part of a wider development agenda that he said must extend beyond physical infrastructure to include investments in people, skills and specialised capabilities.
President Ali said the next four years should focus on transformative projects capable of creating long-term opportunities, including positioning Guyana as a food hub and food capital, advancing biodiversity and climate services, strengthening the country’s role as an energy hub and delivering the highest level of skilled human-resource capacity.
He has also emphasised the importance of young people being proactive, researching beyond the obvious and advancing ideas that can contribute to national development.
“A very important key to success is advancing your ideas and being proactive,” he said, while urging young professionals not to be afraid of presenting new ideas and embracing opportunities to contribute.
The specialised STEM school, as referenced by the president is, therefore, being positioned within a broader effort to equip Guyanese with the specialised knowledge and skills needed to support the country’s next stage of economic and technological development.
As Guyana advances into that next phase, greater emphasis is being placed on building human capacity alongside infrastructure, with specialised education expected to play a key role in preparing the workforce for emerging areas of opportunity.