Does a sustainable Guyana begin in Peterborough?

Trent University's new Sustainable Guyana Program builds skills to empower a nation of future environmental leaders

Ensuring a sustainable future will take broad collaboration and immediate action. It is also close to the hearts of Trent’s first cohort of students in the Sustainable Guyana Program, a unique strategic partnership aimed at training Guyana’s future leaders in sustainable development.

“Ultimately, I'm hoping to expand my network even further and build on my connection with my supervisors and friends through the Trent community to build a network of researchers between Trent and Guyana,” says Chetwynd Osborne, part of that first cohort who is completing his Ph.D. in Trent’s Environmental & Life Sciences graduate program. Joining him at Trent are Hamant France and Ewart Smith; Malaika Persaud and Stacy James are enrolled in the Sustainability Studies M.A. program.

The Sustainable Guyana Program, a partnership between Trent, the University of Guyana, CGX Energy Inc., and Frontera Energy Corporation, is overseen by renowned biomaterials researcher Dr. Suresh Narine, who is also providing the five students with valuable mentorship. After completing their research, the students will return to Guyana with new skills to contribute to future initiatives supporting sustainable economic growth in the country.

“I believe there are many natural resources in Guyana with untapped potential,” says Malaika. “These resources are valuable and environmentally friendly with long-term benefits, but would be lost without planned interventions for exploration, conservation and sustainability.”