BELIZE CITY, Mon. Aug. 5, 2019– San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) and the University of Belize (UB) have partnered up to offer new opportunities to students in San Pedro. A public ceremony was held at the San Pedro High School where a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by representatives of the two institutions to introduce a new Bachelor’s program at the junior college.

UB president Professor Emeritus Clement Sankat; the Dean of Faculty of Education and Arts, Mr. Nestor Chan; and Dean for the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Dr. Bernard Watler, represented UB at the ceremony, where they were greeted by the Dean of SPJC, Mr. Gustavo Ellis, Assistant Dean Mr. Froylan Gilharry, and all the invited guests in attendance.

The first program that will be offered is in education, commencing with an Associate degree in early childhood education and primary education, followed by a Bachelor’s degree program in these fields as well as in secondary education.

In addition, given the prominent role that San Pedro plays in our tourism sector, a Bachelor’s program will be offered in Tourism Management or Hospitality Management. The duration of this program will be three years, with four subjects being taught each semester.

According to President Sankat, the introduction of these programs is in alignment with UB’s mission to provide access to affordable education to all Belizeans in order to develop the country and promote the prosperity of our communities.

The UB president also mentioned the convenience for students living in San Pedro, who will no longer have to commute to Belmopan or Belize City to obtain a degree, which will save the students thousands of dollars annually.

The program is scheduled to begin in January of 2020, with a minimum of fifteen registered students p0er course. The courses will be held at the San Pedro High School campus.