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Full ‘STEAM’ ahead for Women and Girls in Science

For Release Upon Receipt - March 22, 2019

St. Augustine


H.E. Paula-Mae Weekes, O.R.T.T., President of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago shares a light moment with UWI St. Augustine Campus Principal Prof. Brian Copeland

The importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education was emphasised by an impressive line-up of presenters at the Women and Girls in Science Symposium hosted by Dr. E. Monica Davis, Lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus and Honorary Consul for The Bahamas. The focus of the symposium which was held earlier  on Friday March 22, 2019 under the theme, “Sustainability Through Cooperation – We Have a Dream” was to promote the incorporation of STEAM to successfully achieve the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as the world approaches the fourth (4th) industrial revolution. Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes, O.R.T.T., President of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was among the specially invited guests as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps, students and teachers from The UWI and local primary and secondary schools.

In his welcome remarks, Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine, Professor Brian Copeland shared The UWI’s vision for the year 2034 of a sustainably developed society with a strong culture of entrepreneurship and indomitable innovative spirit: “To achieve this vision, we must prepare now by revolutionising our education system. We have to move swiftly to eradicate all barriers that limit our different citizens – across all gender, religion, class, ethnic and other boundaries. This, I see as the prime rationale for the symposium today.”

Presenters at the symposium included His Excellency Tim Stew – British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Her Excellency Ambassador Liliana Edgerton – Ambassador for the Republic of Costa Rica, Mr. Steve Maximay – Managing Director, Science-Based Initiatives and Ms. Vicki Assevero, CEO and Founder of the Green Market located in Santa Cruz.

 

About The UWI

For the past 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and four campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, and an Open Campus. As part of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with universities in North America, Asia, and Africa such as the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development, the UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies and the Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. 

As the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective is driving the growth and development of the regional economy. Times Higher Education has ranked The UWI among the top 1,258 universities in world for 2019, and the 40 best universities in its Latin America Rankings for 2018, and was the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists.  For more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

 

 

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