UB’s 20th Anniversary Speeches


A Message from Chairman of the Board of Trustees at UB:

As we stand in this  moment, the joy of birth and the memories of the years of growth and struggle fill us with pride and a true sense of accomplishment. The University of Belize, Belize’s national flagship of higher learning, stands tall with its magnificent record of delivering quality multi-disciplinary educational programs designed to empower this nation.

As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of this great national institution I am proud to salute leadership, faculty and staff on this the occasion of UB’s 20th Anniversary.  The road to this happy moment has not been without its bumps and bogs.  In fact, as we celebrate we are mindful of the heavy cloud of uncertainty enveloping the University, the nation and indeed, the World as we all struggle to chart a manageable course in spite of the harsh setbacks brought on by the worse global pandemic the World has seen in a hundred years. African wisdom dictates that “Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors”. We are, therefore, strengthened in the belief that the University of Belize has been fortified by rough waters in the past and will overcome all turbulence it faces today and in the future. “However long the night. The dawn will break”.

This University celebrates the thousands of proud graduates who have contributed to Belize’s national well-being in the Public Service, in Private Enterprise, as educators, engineers, scientists, attorneys, doctors, nurses, agriculturists; in politics, religion, business.  Our graduates have made us proud within the region and across the diaspora, in local as well as in world-class institutions.

In celebration we are mindful of our sponsors and stakeholders and extend a hearty handshake of gratitude to the Government of Belize, to the parents and students who have steadfastly supported us, to benefactors all (small and large) and to the dedicated faculty and staff who have stood firmly with us in creating this fountain of teaching and learning – The University of Belize!

Happy 20th Birthday UB!  Together we will move mountains tomorrow by continuing to lift stones today.

By GA Harrison Pilgrim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, UB

A Message from the Chief Executive Officer at the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports & Culture:

I take great pleasure in extending warm congratulations to the University of Belize on the twentieth anniversary of the University’s founding, this first day of August 2020.

There is great significance of this August 1st  celebration.  This anniversary date, is historical. On this day, we also celebrate the anniversary of our beloved capital, Belmopan, home of the University of Belize’s main campus. We also mark in Belize and the Caribbean, Emancipation Day, the end of slavery. This alignment of celebrations is testament to our resolve as a people, for freedom of person and thought and of our efforts at nation building. The University of Belize plays a crucial role in all these.   Congratulations to the management, faculty, staff and students of UB.  Happy 20th anniversary.

By Deborah Domingo, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports & Culture

A Message from the President of the Student Government Association 2019-20:

I am beyond grateful for having been selected by my peers to represent the university’s student body in its entirety as a member on the Board of Trustees for the past year. It has also brought me much pleasure to accept your invitation in sharing celebratory words to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this national institution. The University of Belize is home to many students all over the country which fosters learning in an enabling environment. There are a number of
available opportunities that allows each individual to stimulate some form of developmental growth both in and outside of the classroom. My two-year experience has been one filled with unimaginable milestones being crossed in the face of undeniable adversities. In a similar light, the university too has had its achievements as breakthroughs from previous hardships.

The infamous “Transformational Plan” took off in 2017 with a full head of steam from the very day of its introduction and is continuing its course. Guided by the fours R’s of Reach, Relevance, Responsiveness and Responsibility, the university is well aware of necessary areas for improvements in its plan and steers in a direction of excellence. I am proud to say that I’ve been a witness to the contract signing for the medical building, that I hope proves to evolve into a
program sought after by many students regionally and internationally. Time and time again, we are reminded of how much the students are at the core of the university’s interest and that their
power to push forward the future plans is critical. As students, we are indeed the leaders of tomorrow whom will lay foundations for better leaders in the subsequent years to come. After 20 consecutive years of standing tall on Belizean soil, the University of Belize has sowed good seeds and had fruitful harvests as their reward. I believe that without a doubt there will be no setbacks so great that the students, faculty and administrating bodies of this institution are unable to overcome. We are all forever equipped with our own unique set of tools to build UB together.

By Jalen Good, President (2019-2020), Association of Student Governments, University of Belize