DELHI, India, President Irfaan Ali was honored on Thursday for his hard work, dedication, and responsible approach to leadership and development with an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy and Management Studies.
His alma mater, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, India, conferred the degree to him during a special ceremony.
He was lauded as a role model for the partnerships he has created, his human resource management capability, and his commitment to continuous development.
In his address, President Ali thanked his lecturers, who motivated him to remain committed to his pursuit of education, as well as colleagues and friends he met during his tenure at the university, for playing significant roles in his development into the person he is today. He also expressed thanks for the values instilled in him through the university by the people of India.
“The Indian education system is not easy. It requires discipline and education. It is not a system in which you can operate in the way you think is best. It is a highly disciplined environment. But within that highly disciplined environment. It taught us to be better humans. The education we received was not only academic; it was life-changing. It was preparing great minds to do great things in the humblest ways,” Ali explained.
He added that his time at Guru Gobind Singh university also reinforced the need for and meaning of humility and respect for elders and each other.
Dr. Ali praised India’s culture and nature of selflessness, noting that despite various challenges, the country continued to demonstrate its ability to be a positive change and light amidst the worldwide difficulties.
“We live in a world of changes, a world that presents many challenges, food security, climate security, energy security, a world that is still filled with inequality and injustice… when the world isolated itself during COVID, and held on to whatever vaccine it had, with a large population, and the same challenges the rest of the world faced, what did you do? You turned to the spirit of humanity, and you extended to the world whatever little you had,” President Ali said.
He said this demonstrates India’s developed mindset, mature society, leadership in humanity, and dedication to making a difference.
President Ali also announced plans for Guyanese students for a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed with the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University for Guyanese to benefit from their online classes.
This, he said, will be done after the university completes its facility for conducting online classes.
It was also announced that ten low-income Guyanese students would benefit from scholarships to study at the university, keeping with President Ali’s commitment to partner with the school to educate more Guyanese.
Multiple other universities in India offer education to Guyanese through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
GOAL is an online university platform launched by the government in 2021 that connects Guyanese with universities worldwide for equal access to tertiary education.
The government will also continue collaborating with India in the fields of health, engineering, petroleum, nursing, medical technology, and pharmacy, among others.
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