Dear Editor,
I would like to congratulate University of St. Martin (USM) on its upcoming 30th Anniversary celebration on November 16. Our local university came a long way in its thirty years of existence. USM has graduated more than 750 alumni, who hold key positions in the public and private sectors of St. Maarten. USM has produced some of St. Maarten's top Directors, Managers and Leaders within our community. I am proud to have been associated with USM and a faculty member for more than 25 years.
USM’s major strength is its students who can go anywhere in the world from here and excel at top universities, and Ivy Leagues around the globe. I find it amazing for a non-accredited university, that our students can go anywhere from here with their credits and excel at other top universities as the best in their class. That's a fact!
Mr. Editor, all USM wanted in its thirty years of existence is for our local government to recognize its own national institution of higher learning on the island. I can't understand why any island/country would not recognize its own institution of higher learning, and put a structural solution in place for funding, instead of injecting bits of funding which can't finance the curriculum and educators to run a full accredited university.
What happened to the long overdue draft tertiary ordinance to recognize our university? The first question any outside business would ask USM while marketing abroad is, "Are you recognized by your local government?" which they can't answer.
Education should be legislators’ and government’s top priority. The educational system of a nation is the foundation for building any nation.
We need to reignite the vision of the founders of why USM was established, such as the late Dr. Claude Wathey and Ambassador Dr. Husang Ansary. We need to get back to the vision, instead of being all over the place with the future development of USM.
I also would like to know why our co-founder, Ambassador Dr. Husang Ansary, is donating millions to other universities in the United States, instead of helping to further develop our own local university that he helped co-found? USM should be the future corner stone to educate our people to become leaders of the 21st century within our community. Education must be a top priority!
In closing, I pray to God that the sooner the better, we get it right with the right vision and put a structural solution and funding in place to recognize our own local institution, USM.
Maurice Lake
