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, 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 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.
A highly respected Caribbean diplomat and scholar, Sir Ronald brings decades of academic, diplomatic 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 a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and as a 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 (OAS). He has also served an unprecedented three terms as President of the OAS Permanent Council and is widely regarded as one of the Caribbean’s leading voices on diplomacy, multilateral engagement and the role of small states in global affairs.
The Government of Guyana welcomed his identification for the role, noting that his leadership comes at a time of major national investment in education and human capital. Officials said Sir Ronald’s appointment is expected to strengthen the University of Guyana’s academic stature, expand its global reach and reinforce its role in the country’s emerging knowledge-based economy.
