Event

The Open Lectures Committee of The UWI St. Augustine, in collaboration with CARISCIENCE, the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) hosts a Distinguished Open Lecture featuring Professor Calestous Juma of Harvard University.

Professor Juma's lecture is titled "How Nations Succeed: Higher Education, Research and Technological Leapfrogging in Emerging Economies" and takes place at the Daaga Auditorium from 5:30pm.

All are invited. 

ABSTRACT:

Technological innovation—especially through advances in platform technologies and the allied institutional adjustments—is emerging as a transformational force in economic long-term economic development. Exponential growth in technical knowledge associated to platform technologies confers unique opportunities and challenges for catch-up and leapfrogging among latecomer economies. This lecture argues that harnessing the power of platform technologies requires complementary reforms in research and higher education institutions. In addition, it demands new forms of governance guided by entrepreneurial principles and practices at the apex of government. The lecture focuses on the strategic role that platform technologies such as informatics, genomics and new materials can play in fostering rapid economic growth in emerging nations. It outlines the reforms needed to achieve these reforms, with particular emphasis on adopting a systems approach in fostering innovation. This lecture draws from the author’s draft book, How Nations Succeed: Innovation Strategies for Emerging Economies.

ABOUT PROFESSOR JUMA:

Calestous Juma, a national of Kenya, is an internationally-recognized authority on the role of innovation in economic development. He is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at Harvard Kennedy School. He is Faculty Chair for Innovation for Economic Development Executive Program and directs the School’s Agricultural Innovation Policy in Africa Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Juma has been elected to several scientific and engineering academies including the Royal Society of London, the US National Academy of Sciences, the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the UK Royal Academy of Engineering and the African Academy of Sciences. He co-chairs the African Union’s High-Level Panel on Science, Technology and Innovation and is on the board of the Aga Khan University. His previous positions include: founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies in Nairobi; Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity; Chancellor of the University of Guyana; and judging panel member of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Juma holds a DPhil in science and technology policy studies from the University of Sussex (UK) and has received numerous international awards and honorary degrees for his work on sustainable development. His latest book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa, was published in 2011 by Oxford University Press.