University of Guyana Launches First Indigenous-Led Forest Campus to Serve 21 Communities in South Rupununi Region

Georgetown, Guyana–(Newsfile Corp. – December 3, 2024) – In a historic move driven by Indigenous leaders, the University of Guyana has announced the establishment of the Maoka Taawa University of the Forests Campus. The campus, situated just 10 minutes from the Brazilian border, will serve 21 indigenous communities in the South Rupununi region.

UG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Paloma Martin with indigenous leaders at the campus launch ceremony.

As universities worldwide grapple with meaningfully integrating Indigenous knowledge and serving Indigenous communities in their sustainable development plans, the Maoka Taawa University of the Forests Campus offers a potential roadmap.

The campus will uniquely blend indigenous wisdom with cutting-edge technology – combining traditional cultural calendars and building design with innovative technology integration including augmented virtual reality teaching platforms.

The project began when five Toshaos (indigenous chiefs) approached University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Paloma Martin with an urgent community need.

Toshao Timothy Williams of Aishalton village explained how hundreds of secondary school graduates each year have little opportunity except to work in the mines, leading to social issues and brain drain in their communities. Less than 5% of indigenous youth in the region pursue higher education.

“Education is what we have yearned for; we know it’s the key to everything. This is a historic and proud moment for us,” Williams said as work began on the campus.

As one of the few, if not the only, university campus of its type and scope globally built on indigenous-titled lands, it demonstrates a new model of true partnership with Indigenous communities.

The campus aims to empower communities to protect their values, rights, livelihoods, and culture.

What makes this campus distinctive:

• Located at Makoto, an ancient and sacred community site.
• Physical design modeled after a benab, with a circular design and two extending arms.
• Academic calendar adapted to cultural seasons – combining terms to provide six months for traditional activities.
• Community-driven governance through joint Management and Development Committees.
• Innovative technology integration, including an augmented virtual reality platform for skills training.

Based on extensive community surveys, the campus will offer programs across seven priority disciplines identified by the Indigenous communities: education, agriculture, environmental sciences, sustainable tourism, medical sciences, sustainable engineering and infrastructure, and business studies incorporating Indigenous knowledge and entrepreneurship.

Initially, 150 students will be accepted from 254 who have indicated early interest. The campus aims to attract a minimum of 100 students yearly in academic programs and train 100 youth annually in specific skills like construction and jewellery making.

This initiative highlights several impactful dimensions worth exploring:

• Cultural Collaboration: Rooted in the vision of Indigenous leaders, ensuring alignment with local traditions and values.
• Innovative Education: Adapts teaching methods to reflect and respect cultural practices.
• Community Impact: Tackles the challenges of limited educational access in underserved areas.
• Technological Integration: Implements creative solutions to enhance remote learning.
• Environmental Research: Serves as a resource for studying critical ecological challenges.

“The community drives this and we’re doing everything collaboratively with them,” explains Dr. Martin in an interview with Innovation Report. “Even fundraising – they have to agree on who we take money or resources from. From the outset, we have a joint Management Committee and joint Development Committee, half the people from us, so that we can together very iteratively respond to things that neither of us have thought about.“

The initiative is already attracting international attention, with universities and institutions reaching out about sending teams, collaborating on research, and studying the model.

Additionally, the project has already attracted interest from researchers studying environmental issues, water resources, and issues around mercury contamination from mining.

The University of Guyana has launched an innovation content hub on Innovation Report, promoting partnership opportunities related to the forest campus and other key projects that advance Guyana’s national development.

For more detailed coverage:

• Full Project Overview: The University of Guyana’s Innovative Forest Campus
• In-depth interview with Dr. Paloma Martin, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana
• Analysis of potential global impact: 5 Ways the Campus Could Transform Indigenous Education

The University of Guyana has launched a virtual reality and augmented reality platform, and will make use of it in the new forest campus.

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