David Dulal-Whiteway, CEO of the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business (ALJGSB), expects the tertiary level institution’s new undergraduate degree to add to business education and transform the country.
“This represents the most significant event of the school since it was founded. I say that because of the impact that this undergraduate programme can have on the future development of our country. This programme is about training leaders who are willing to compete at an international level and who are willing to take on the world,” he said yesterday at the official launch of ALJGSB’s first undergraduate degree, a Bachelors Programme in International and Sustainable Business.
Noting that the world of education is very different from when he was at the University of the West Indies (UWI) more than 40 years ago, Dulal-Whiteway said: “There were no PC’s, no internet, even the telephone was not working. We did not even have remotes for our television sets. Even the way they delivered courses was different from today.
“Back then it was learning a formula and regurgitating that. Today, we live in a connected world and the information age.”
He said the new degree programme is needed in the country at this time of economic challenges.
“We are losing competitiveness, we have been hearing that the economy is not diversified and as a former banker I can talk about challenges about foreign exchange. As a country our problem is that we all seem to be waiting for the Government to do something. The answer is not about the Government doing something, the answer is that we can do it on our own,” he said.
He said businessmen should follow the example set by pioneers Arthur Lok Jack.
“Entrepreneurs like him were able to go out and find new markets. In my years of banking, Mr Lok Jack never called me to ask for foreign exchange. If companies like his could compete internationally, and generate foreign exchange in the country, why others cannot do the same?” he asked.
Dulal-Whiteway said the new degree focuses on entrepreneurship and self employment.
“The skill sets and mindsets that are forged here are what employers are looking for. I can say that because I spent 19 years working at Republic Bank, working as an executive director and the last 11 years as the Managing Director. We want people to be problem solvers, innovative and taking risks,” he said.
Professor Brian Copeland, Principal of UWI, St Augustine, said investment in education is one of the best things that can be done in a time of economic downtown.
“From one cycle to the next, from good times to the bad, UWI and its Arthur lok Jack affiliate has proved their unwavering commitment to creating knowledge and fostering innovation,” he said.
