U.B. Has New Prez; Also Looking at Finances and Personnel

Clement Sankat

Former Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UWI Saint Augustine Campus, Professor Clement Sankat, retired in September 2016 after forty years of service as a member of staff.  He has since been appointed as the new President of the University of Belize and succeeds former President Alan Slusher.  The announcement of Sankat’s selection was made during a commencement ceremony held by UB last month.  His employment comes amid changes being undertaken at the national tertiary institution.  According to Minister of Education Patrick Faber, thorough reviews of UB’s finances and operations have also been overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers of Trinidad.

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“The University of Belize and all who are concerned understood that President Alan Slusher was an interim president and that after the last substantive president left that he would only be holding over in an interim capacity until the selection of a new president and in fact that is what has happened.  Dr. Clement Sankat, who is the former Principal of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad will be put in place as the new president of the university.  Professor Sankat brings to the table of course a wealth of experience, not only in his own profession as an engineer and as a lecturer for many years, but also as an administrator.  As you’ve heard me say, he was the principal of St. Augustine, Trinidad.  So we are looking forward to that and there are other dynamic changes that I have been brought up to speed on as to what is happening there at the University of Belize, including a complete audit of finances and operational –wise that was being conducted by Price Waterhouse Cooper of Trinidad and I think it’s being sponsored by the CDB.  So there is great work and great potential that will come with the new leadership and the new institutional changes that will happen at the university.  We will also seek to put in positions that were not filled in the past.  Vice presidents, for instance, a provost and an assistant provost.  Key positions that in fact need to be filled to have the university function.”

Professor Sankat is the third president of the University of Belize within a three-year period.