Sir Ronald Sanders is set to become the next Chancellor of the University of Guyana following his identification for the post by the institution’s Council, a statement from the Office of the President confirmed on Friday.
The position became vacant after the completion of the term of Professor John Edward Greene, whose tenure the Government of Guyana has described as distinguished and impactful on the University’s development and standing.
Under Section 9 of the University of Guyana Act, the Chancellor is elected by the University’s Council.
Sir Ronald, a highly respected Caribbean diplomat and scholar, brings decades of academic and international experience to the role. He is a former Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Guyana and an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of the West Indies.
His academic career includes service as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto. He also served as Rapporteur on a special committee appointed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London and was an elected member of UNESCO’s Executive Board.
On the international stage, Sir Ronald currently serves as Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States and has served an unprecedented three terms as President of the OAS Permanent Council. He is widely regarded as one of the region’s leading voices on diplomacy, multilateral engagement and the role of small states.
The Government of Guyana has welcomed his appointment, noting that his leadership comes at a time of major national investment in education and human capital. Officials say Sir Ronald’s appointment is expected to strengthen the University of Guyana’s academic stature, global reach and role in the country’s emerging knowledge-based economy.
