At the end of 2020 ITC alumnus Daryll Matthew was appointed as Minister of Education, Sports and The Creative Industries in Antigua and Barbuda. Matthew studied at the Faculty ITC, University of Twente between 1999-2000 and holds a Professional Master Degree in Geo-Information Management (GIM).
It was with great pleasure that we learned of Matthew’s appointment as Minister. We congratulate him most warmly on behalf of the ITC Community and wish him success in his new duties. We briefly had a chat with Matthew on his appointment and his time studying at ITC.
A rewarding period
“My time studying at ITC in Enschede has been a tremendously rewarding period for my development as a professional and as an individual. The broad international spectrum of the cohort exposed me to different cultures. The experience living in The Netherlands opened my eyes to an environment totally foreign to the one where I was born and raised. One of the first things that I learned upon my arrival at ITC was the need to have an open mind and appreciate persons who may come from different cultures and experiences than I have. The ability to expose our students to different cultures has been at the forefront of my thrust to advance the sector in Antigua and Barbuda. Also, the commitment to quality education and the attention to detail have prepared me for the role I play in the Cabinet of Ministers.”
Challenges
“The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged many small island developing states where the delivery of Education is concerned. Most of our countries were unprepared for the immediate and rapid transition that was required to ensure the continued conveyance of instruction to our students. Access to affordable internet, and the requisite devices to access online instruction has also been a massive challenge. The outreach from the families who would not otherwise be able to access neither a device or the internet has been overwhelming. The stories from the teachers who are able to reach their students, particularly the physically and mentally disabled, have been heart-warming.”
Sixth ITC alumnus at governmental level
Daryl Matthew is the sixth ITC alumnus who made it to the Governmental level: Dr. Laurent Sedogo (Minister of Environment of Burkina Faso), Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu Kimono (Minister State for Environment of Uganda), Dr. Siti Nurbaya Bakar (Minister of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia), and Dr. Wilber Ottichilo (Member of Kenyan Parliament for the Emuhaya constituency) and Dr. Amon Murwira (Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Development of Zimbabwe) preceded him.
