Transitional management team takes over as UG awaits new Vice Chancellor

The contractual term of Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana concluded on 31 July 2026. As a result, to ensure continuity of leadership and the uninterrupted conduct of the University’s academic, administrative and financial affairs, the University Council has established a Transitional Management Team to oversee the day-to-day operations of the University until a new Vice-Chancellor is appointed. In a statement on Friday, Chancellor and Chair of the University Council, Sir Ronald Sanders, expressed appreciation to Professor Mohamed-Martin for her seven years of service and commitment to the University during her tenure. “The University Council thanks Professor Mohamed-Martin for her seven years of stewardship of the University of Guyana and wishes her every success in her future endeavours,” Sir Ronald said. The Transitional Management Team will be chaired by Professor Stafford Griffith, Professor at the University of Guyana and Professor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies. Professor Griffith has had a distinguished career in higher education across the Caribbean, having served in a number of senior leadership positions at The University of the West Indies, including Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Five Islands Campus, Regional Director of the Office for Online Learning, Director of the School of Education, and Deputy Dean of the Mona Campus. He has also held senior regional appointments with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and has served on numerous national and regional commissions, committees and boards. Joining him on the Transitional Management Team is Dr Diana Devika Gobin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Administration) of the University of Guyana. Dr Gobin has more than eighteen years of experience in higher education and has served in a range of academic and administrative leadership positions, including Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. She has played a significant role in the University’s financial administration, academic development and institutional governance, and holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation, an International MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a Bachelor of Social Science in Management. The third member of the Transitional Management Team will be the incoming Chair of the Committee of Deans, who is expected to be elected next week, according to the statement. The Transitional Management Team will manage the University’s day-to-day affairs under the oversight of the Chancellor and the University Council until the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor. The search for the University’s next Vice-Chancellor is continuing. Following a comprehensive and rigorous international search process, four candidates have been shortlisted and are proceeding through the final stages of consideration by the University Council. Sir Ronald Sanders said: “The Council is committed to ensuring a smooth and orderly transition in the leadership of the University while maintaining continuity in its academic mission, governance and administration. I have every confidence that Professor Griffith, Dr Gobin and the incoming Chair of the Committee of Deans will provide the steady and experienced leadership necessary during this interim period. At the same time, the Council remains fully engaged in completing the search for the University’s next Vice-Chancellor through a rigorous and transparent process.”