The Faculty of Engineering

Engineering Institute

Services Offered

How does the EI work?

The EI works as a facilitator and coordinator between Industry and the Faculty of Engineering through groups (Centres) working on projects of mutual interest.
The Institute’s Office, in its relationship with the Centres, functions mainly in providing administrative and accounting services in the execution of their work. The Office will also administer research, consulting and testing services requests for the Faculty which do not fall into the ambit of any of the Centres.

How can we help you?

The Continuing Engineering Education Centre uses several types and methods of delivery.
Seminars and Workshops usually last from one to five days and occasionally may be longer.
Short Courses are more instructional in nature and participants are expected  to acquire new and /or enhanced skills. They typically range from  two to five days but may be as long as four weeks.
Short courses, seminars and workshops are organized according to needs and may take the form of:

• General courses that cater to a wide cross-section of industries
• Industry-specific courses, catering for example to the petroleum industry, the construction industry, manufacturing, etc.
• Company-specific courses e.g. courses in Preventive Maintenance have been ailored for several specific companies on request.
• Sponsored courses- these are often for regional participants sponsored by  international aid agencies for regional institutions.
   
  The Centre's activities generally take place at the Faculty of Engineering of The University of the West Indies, which is well equipped with conference facilities. Hotels and other venues are also used where appropriate as well as the training facilities of companies requesting special courses in Trinidad and Tobago or in any other territory.

Services Offered by the Centres of the Engineering Institute

The Institute’s work is primarily carried out by its eight existing Centres which focus on technical and scientific areas for national and regional development.

Centre for Energy Studies
(Head, Professor Chandrabhan Sharma)

• Arbiter in New Mode of Looking at Electric Power as a Commodity
• Software Development in Power Systems
• Training  throughout the Caribbean in Power Systems Studies
• Alternative Energy- Wind Farm Development
• Natural Gas as a Feedstock, as a Source of Energy and for Cooling

Centre for Environmental Studies

• Hazardous Waste- Projects with Laboratory Analysis
• Environmental Issues in Tourism
• Environmental Issues in Small Island States

Centre for Food Technology

• Product Development – Canned Products, Extruded Products, Cured/ Smoked Products, Soy Products, Supercritical Products (Essential Oils)
• Training – Food Safety and Food Processing
• Laboratory Services – Microbiological Analysis for Food Safety and Standards; and Chemical Analyses for Nutritive Compositions and Food Standards
• Contract Processing – Use of Extruder for Product Formulation and Process Development for Yogurt and the Use of an Ice Cream Multipurpose Vessel

Centre for Geospatial Studies
(Head, Professor Jacob Opadeyi)

• Training: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Certificate Accredited Course with Standalone Short Course Modules
• Land Use Policy and Administration
• Scada/GIS/Video Taping of Pipeline Projects particularly for the Oil and Gas Industry
• Digital Spatial Database

Continuing Engineering Education Centre
(Professor Clement Imbert)

• Responsible for Short Courses, Seminars and Workshops in the Faculty of Engineering
• Developing of Diploma/ Certificate Programmes in the Faculty of Engineering
• Creating a liaison with other training Institutions and Universities to conduct and certify Programmes in Continuing Engineering Education
• Generating a list of possible Programmes that can be conducted by the Centre based on information gathered from an “industry needs analysis”
• Providing technical follow-up support in the areas where the Centre has provided training

Steelpan Development Centre
(Heads, Professor Clèment Imbert)
The mission of the UWI Steelpan Development Research Centre is to explore all aspects of technology of the pan for the production of instruments of the highest quality, flexibility and marketability and enhance the capability and productivity of tuners and players.

What does it cost to use the services of the EI?

Fees would normally be charged at prevailing consultant rates for contract research/ testing/ consultancy for specific projects. However, companies may wish to make lump sum payments or annual retainers for research and development projects and training courses. Fees for training courses are based on individual estimated budgets and are advertised in the newspaper, through brochures and other means.

"Bringing Industry & the  University Closer Together"