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November 2017
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The year was 1963 and Trinidad and Tobago was a very young nation, barely a year old. Young as well was The University of the West Indies and its St. Augustine Campus, an independent university for a newly independent region. And youngest of all was the College of Arts and Sciences. Created in 1963, the College was the origin point for the study of arts, social sciences and the natural sciences at St. Augustine. The pioneering work of its staff and pupils laid the foundation for an edifice that today includes three faculties, thousands of students and leaders in the arts and sciences. But the College’s beginnings were quite humble: “As in any first batch in a fledgling university there were many challenges,” says Mr. Ramganie Bob Gopee. He knows those challenges well. Mr. Gopee was among that first batch of students, about 20 in total, who made up the student body of the new College. The challenges did not bother him then and they certainly do not bother him now. “I feel privileged,” he says, “to have attended UWI. I feel that I was a part of the seed that grew into the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.” Mr. Gopee is a professional accountant, auditor and businessman. He is the founder of the accounting firm, Bob Gopee and Associates, is an author of several books and has business interests in the tourism industry, including the well-known Par-May-La Inn in Woodbrook, Port of Spain. At 78, he is incredibly agile, in frame and wit. “Although I’m this age, I’m still not a retiree,” he says. “I love what I’m doing and when you work for yourself it’s not likely you will retire.” It’s an expression of the gentlemanly dynamism that characterised the tail end of the colonial era and powered the development of institutions such as The UWI.
“It was very pleasing and fortunate that the (College) was started. Neither I nor my family had the resources for me to go abroad and study so this was my chance to pursue further education,” Mr. Gopee remembers. He remembers also the drive to succeed shared by both the lecturers and students, 40 per cent of whom were women. “We studied very hard and we received immense support from the professors. They had a very heavy commitment for it to work. I think that kind of commitment was contagious. We also felt it.” Among their teachers were giants of Caribbean life such as Sir Alister McIntyre, Lloyd Braithwaite, Dom Basil Matthews and Dr. Roy Thomas. “They were shining lights. We were blessed to have them teaching us,” Mr. Gopee says. The strength of the personnel helped with the limits of the resources: “In those days we did not have full access to the library. We had to go very early before the students (from other faculties) would come. Classes were the same. We had to use an engineering classroom or biology classroom when they were free.” Like many of his fellow students, Mr. Gopee came from a modest background. Raised in Chatham in Cedros, he came from a family of farmers. Farming was “hard work with poor remuneration” he says, but the experience taught him resilience, a lesson that came in handy as a student. Off campus he rented a house with five other students. Among them was Dr. Morgan Job. “When we were not studying we played sports – football, volleyball and table tennis,” Gopee remembers fondly. “But there was little time we were not studying. And when we were not studying we were cooking or washing clothes. We didn’t see it as drudgery. We enjoyed it. There were times, going to campus at four in the morning to find an empty class to study, we would sing ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’. We were on a mission.” That mission has helped them forge bonds of friendship that last to this day. Every January they have a gathering at Mr. Gopee’s home. “I believe we turned out well. We have positioned ourselves in several places in T&T,” he says modestly. Among that first graduating class are academics, writers, educators, policymakers and businesspeople. Apart from his professional success Mr. Gopee, a devout Hindu, gives back to his community by offering awards to top performing elementary school students in academics, sports and culture. This past September he gave over 40 awards at a gathering of upwards of 200 guests in Cedros. “Although I’ve made a good living in my life I know where I come from and am thankful for every opportunity that has been given to me,” he says. At one point in time, education, even at the secondary level, was a rare opportunity for personal and financial growth. In 1960 there were 67 students at St. Augustine. Today there are close to 18,000. With education now in abundance, Mr. Gopee recognises a change in the attitudes of students and new graduates. “I feel sad when I see some of the products that come out of university,” he says. “As an employer I am hesitant to hire someone who, fresh out of university with no experience, wants a big position and salary. There is a tremendous difference between education and work experience.” He believes The UWI has a critical role in interfacing with the private sector through programmes such as internships, to better prepare students for their professional careers. Nevertheless, Mr. Gopee is proud to have played a role in the development of what has become one of Trinidad and the region’s most important institutions. Now if only we can recover the spirit of gentle dynamism that made it possible. Joel Henry is a writer and editor. |
In 1962, UWI St. Augustine consisted of the Faculty of Agriculture (the descendant of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture that had operated since 1922) and the Faculty of Engineering. This was not enough for those with ideals for the development of higher education in Trinidad and Tobago. With little in terms of resources and facilities, the College of Arts and Sciences was established.