Courts donates five new computers to UG
The Computer Centre at the University of Guyana (UG) Wednesday benefited from a donation of five computers from Courts as part of its Outreach 2000 initiative. The presentation of computers, worth in excess of $1 million, was made to the university by Courts Marketing Director, Mark Spurling, at UG's Computer Centre. The additional computers which are all Compaq brand and year 2000 compliant brings the total number of computers at the centre to 20. Spurling, in handing over the computers, said that Courts was immediately receptive to a request from the university to improve the resources at the computer centre which were grossly inadequate and heavily taxed. He noted that the computer centre is at the heart of the university's thrust, to make its teaching relevant, and to gear its graduates to contribute in worthwhile ways to Guyana's progress and development. The marketing director added that training in information technology was a critical requirement in gearing Guyana for the twenty-first century. Spurling said that he was looking forward to the other elements of the programme getting off the ground, particularly that which provides for internships and attachments with the company for advanced UG students in disciplines such as management, accounting and computer science. UG Vice-Chancellor, Professor Harold Lutchman, expressing thanks to Courts, said that the donation was very significant to the university and the Guyanese population as a whole. He stated that since Courts has been so generous to the university, it will be allowed free access to the university's facilities. Courts officially launched its partnership with the University of Guyana in April as part of its Outreach 2000 programme. It provided a television set to the Faculty of Technology to facilitate the setting up of a Radio Research Centre and furnishings for the library. It is also currently sponsoring the 'University on the Air' radio programmes, conducted by the Institute of Adult and Continuing Education. The university's Computer Centre was established in 1992 and is accessible to both staff and students. According to the Manager of the Centre, Dr Martin Williams, the centre is currently utilised as a lecture facility for 425 Computer Science students, 250 engineering students and 216 students from the Social Sciences on a weekly basis. 
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