Institute for Human Resiliency, Strategic Security and the Future

Congratulations to the 2025 Graduating Class for the Masters Degree in Strategic Development Studies (MSDS)

The acting Director and Staff of IHRSSF extend heartiest congratulations to Dr Estherie Adams on her award

𝐔𝐆 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
…𝑫𝒓 𝑬𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒔’𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅-𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒖𝒚𝒂𝒏𝒂’𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

Dr Estherine Adams, Head of the Department of History and Caribbean Studies in the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of Guyana, has been awarded the ASSLH Edna Ryan Prize for Best Article on Women’s History (2023–2024) for her paper, “‘At Work, in Hospital, or in Gaol’: Women in British Guiana’s Jails, 1838–1917,” published in the Journal of Labour History.

The award, presented by the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History (ASSLH), recognises outstanding scholarship on women’s experiences and contributions within labour history. Dr Adams’s paper offers a powerful and original argument that the prison systems in colonial British Guiana served not only to punish but also to extract and control labour, particularly from African and Indian indentured women.

The judges commended the article for being “original, clearly positioned in relevant recent literature and beautifully written to imagine and illuminate the lives of female indentured labourers in British Guiana.” They added that it advanced “an important argument about the centrality of prison labour to the colony, illustrating the intersections of coerced labour, capitalism, and colonialism.”

Dr Adams said she was “genuinely stunned” to learn that her paper had won the prize, especially since she had not known it had been submitted. “I had no idea the journal had entered my article, so the email arrived completely unexpectedly. There was a moment of disbelief followed by deep gratitude. As researchers, we often work in solitude — in archives, writing late at night — wondering if the nuance and humanity we try to convey will reach anyone. To learn that the article resonated that strongly was both affirming and humbling,” she said.

The judges’ comments held special meaning for her, as they recognised not only the academic strength of her research but also its human depth. “They recognised not just the academic contribution, but the humanity of the women whose stories I reconstructed from archival silences. When they noted that the article was beautifully written to illuminate these lives, I felt seen as a scholar, not simply for producing research, but for recovering lives erased from the historical record,” she reflected.

Her motivation for exploring this subject was guided by a central question: Where were the women in the carceral histories of slavery and indentureship? According to Dr Adams, “The prison was one of the earliest colonial institutions designed to regulate and exploit labour, yet women — particularly African and later Indian indentured women — were almost invisible in the archive. I wanted to centre them not as footnotes to male histories, but as labouring subjects whose experiences reveal how power operated through gender, race, and the prison system.”

She shared that one of her main challenges was the lack of detailed records on incarcerated women. To address this, she employed what she calls a “fragmentary methodology.” “In many cases, women appeared only as numbers or anonymous references buried in disciplinary reports. To overcome this, I read against the grain, analysing what the record left out as much as what it included, and pieced together details across inventories, health reports, punishment books, and plantation records. If the archive whispered, I tried to listen as closely as possible,” she explained.

Dr Adams hopes that this international recognition will inspire more researchers in Guyana and across the Caribbean to interrogate history courageously. “My hope is that this award signals the value of work that confronts historical silences, especially in colonial archives. Guyana and the Caribbean are full of stories that remain unwritten. If this recognition encourages emerging researchers to take risks, ask uncomfortable questions, and challenge dominant narratives, then it has already done more than I could have imagined,” she said.

She also reflected on what the award means for the University of Guyana. “At UG, we teach, research, advise, and carry heavy administrative responsibilities, often simultaneously. This award is a reminder that world-class scholarship can be produced from Guyana, by Guyanese scholars, for global audiences. It also models for our students that their stories — the stories of this land and this history — are worthy of study and will be heard. The award is not just mine; it belongs to the Department, to the students who sit in our classrooms, and to the women whose lives I tried to honour in the research.”

The University of Guyana congratulates Dr Estherine Adams on this outstanding achievement. Her work continues to advance the institution’s mission to contribute meaningfully to national and global scholarship, while inspiring future generations of researchers to uncover and honour the untold stories of our region.

Please click this link to read Dr Adams’ article: https://doi.org/10.3828/labourhistory.2023.21

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Please join us for the Migration and Security Symposium being held on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Explore the programmes offered by the Institute for Human Resiliency,
Strategic Security and the Future and their delivery modes.

Apply now at https://www.uog.edu.gy/apply

The wait is over!

Applications for the 2025/2026 academic year open at midnight!

Choose from 9 academic units and 10 research institutes with flexible study options—face-to-face, blended, and online.

Apply today 👉 https://www.uog.edu.gy/apply
Check our website for more information: https://uog.edu.gy/

Join us for the University of Guyana's Open Day 2025, today, March 7 and tomorrow March 8, 2025, 10 am to 3pm.

You are virtually invited to attend a panel Discussion on Su***de prevention entitled "Creating Hope Through Action" on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 3:30 p.m.

Kindly join via Zoom webinar at https://zoom.us/j/93064225194?pwd=ak02AlN6byxmLe7oaydoEOg9pMrc6d.1

See flyer below for details

One of our Graduates.

"I did not face any significant obstacles during my studies. The most challenging part was balancing my studies with work and family life, which required a lot of dedication and discipline.

I initially planned to pursue a Master's in Agriculture, but after some research, I came across this programme. It piqued my interest, so I delved deeper to understand what it was about, and I fell in love with the courses offered."

— Joel Greene
Master of Science in Strategic Development Studies, Institute of Human Resilience, Strategic Security, and the Future

Some of our students who will be graduating with a Masters in Strategic Devleopment Studies.

Congratulations to the class of 2024!

𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆

𝗨𝗚’𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿
- 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝘀 ‘𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲’

The University of Guyana’s School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) is set to graduate its first cohort of Master of Science in Supply Chain Management students this November. This milestone is not just a celebration for the students, but a significant step towards addressing the growing demands of Guyana’s rapidly expanding industries, particularly in the oil and gas sector.

Professor Leyland Lucas, Dean of SEBI, reflected on the journey that led to the creation of the programme and its importance in national development. “Like all the other programmes we offer, this one was created in response to the national development needs of the country,” Professor Lucas explained. “We launched this programme as a natural progression from our undergraduate courses in logistics and supply chain management, recognising the increasing demand for advanced skills in these fields.”

The introduction of this graduate programme in 2021 could not have come at a more opportune time. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role that supply chains play in the modern world, as disruptions caused shortages of essential goods. “We lived through the crisis of the pandemic and saw just how important supply chain management is,” Professor Lucas stated. “As a society, we can no longer do business the way we used to. People expect products and services when they need them, and supply chain management ensures that happens efficiently.”

This first cohort, consisting of eight initial students, began the programme during the 2021/2022 academic year. While some faced personal challenges that delayed their progress, five students have successfully completed all the requirements, including their final projects. These projects tackled real-world issues, with one standout project examining the logistics system within the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Many of the graduates were already working within logistics companies and have now gained the theoretical and practical expertise to significantly enhance their professional roles. “These students are not just equipped to contribute locally but also globally,” Professor Lucas said. “We see them as professionals who can compete on the world stage.”
The success of this first batch has also paved the way for the programme’s growth. SEBI has welcomed a new cohort of 23 students to this programme in the 2024/2025 Academic Year, a promising sign that the Master’s programme will continue to be a valuable asset for Guyana’s development. “Our programmes will continue to grow, and we will keep making meaningful contributions to the country’s development,” Professor Lucas affirmed.

As the oil and gas sector expands and new firms enter Guyana’s economy, the need for efficient supply chain management has become more crucial than ever.

“Issues of logistics and timeliness are no longer casual matters,…In a competitive environment like the one we are in, understanding supply chains, sustainability, and the role of technology is key to remaining competitive,” Professor Lucas explained.

Looking ahead, SEBI remains committed to equipping its graduates with the skills needed to meet these challenges. Professor Lucas, proud of the programme’s success, shared, “I am extremely proud of our first batch. They’ve had their challenges, but they stayed the course, and their success is a testament to their perseverance. We are confident that these graduates will continue to make significant contributions to Guyana’s supply chain management sector.”

As the University of Guyana celebrates this landmark achievement, it’s clear that these graduates are not only prepared to contribute to the national economy but are also poised to make their mark on the global stage.

𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕