News Releases

Professor Bheshem Ramlal Champions Geospatial Innovation for Caribbean Development

For Release Upon Receipt - June 4, 2025

St. Augustine


The UWI St. Augustine, (June 2, 2025) – “Everything that happens, happens somewhere."

 With these words, his favourite quote, Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Professor of Geospatial Information Engineering opened and concluded his Professorial Inaugural Lecture at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus on Wednesday 15th May, 2025. His presentation, titled “Advancing Geospatial Ecosystems Functionality to Address Caribbean Development Challenges,” highlighted the power of geospatial science in tackling the region’s most pressing development issues, climate resilience, disaster preparedness, data governance and sustainable planning.

 

 Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Professor of Geospatial Information Engineering delivers his inaugural professorial lecture, Advancing Geospatial Ecosystems Functionality to Address Caribbean Challenges, on May 15th, 2025, at the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) Auditorium, The UWI St. Augustine. 

  The evening was not only a celebration of science but of a personal journey marked by perseverance and purpose. Professor Ramlal, one of eight children, grew up in South Trinidad from very humble beginnings. His journey from a modest upbringing to becoming Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and a global authority on geospatial information is an inspiration.

 Throughout the evening, the audience, which included many of his former students now holding leadership roles such as Director of Surveys, Commissioner of State Lands, and other senior positions in the public and private sectors, expressed heartfelt gratitude to their mentor. Professor Ramlal responded with pride, saying he was deeply moved to see so many of his students thriving and contributing to national development.

   Professor Ramlal elaborated on the Geospatial Observation Centre, a key initiative established in 2015 and developed in partnership with the Government of Mexico. Now fully operational at The UWI St. Augustine South Campus in Penal-Debe, the Centre will leverage satellite imagery for regional monitoring of critical environmental issues such as coastal erosion, Sargassum seaweed mapping and monitoring, forest degradation, and flooding. This integration will connect the Caribbean to a global network dedicated to enhancing environmental intelligence and disaster risk reduction.

 

 Professor Bheshem Ramlal,  Professor of Geospatial Information Engineering shakes hands with the Ambassador of Mexico, His Excellency Victor Hugo Morales, at his inaugural lecture on May 15th, 2025, at the LRC Auditorium, The UWI St. Augustine.

 He further addressed the continuing brain drain in the geospatial sector, stating:

“Notwithstanding all the efforts to educate persons in the geospatial discipline, we still have limited human capacity. One of the challenges that we found was that across the region, when you educate somebody enough, they are taken away, they get hired outside, they end up in another country that didn’t invest in the person’s education and so we lose valuable people because they get a better salary somewhere else.”

 Professor Ramlal emphasised the critical role of National Spatial Data Infrastructures (NSDIs) and metadata standards, areas he has championed for years. These tools, he explained, are essential for managing geospatial data in a structured way to address complex development problems and support sustainable decision-making.

 

 The UWI St. Augustine Campus Principal, Faculty Deans, the Ambassador of Mexico and other colleagues posed for a congratulatory photograph with Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Professor of Geospatial Information Engineering at his inaugural lecture on 15 May 2025, held at the LRC Auditorium, UWI St. Augustine.

 

 With a 40-year career at The UWI, Professor Ramlal has been a pioneer in developing geospatial academic programmes, including the MSc, MPhil and PhD in Geoinformatics. His advocacy has helped earn geospatial professionals a place alongside civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, firmly establishing the discipline within the engineering fraternity.

 Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, commended his impact and leadership, noting:

 “He supported the design and review of academic programmes in Geoinformatics and Geomatics Engineering at The UWI, which have trained hundreds of professionals now serving across the Caribbean. This has contributed to capacity building, ensuring the region has a pool of Geographic Information System (GIS) experts to serve the needs of the Caribbean.”

 She added:

 “90% of all the data needed to achieve the SDGs is geospatial in nature. This argument enabled us to secure funding for a project to help improve the national geospatial ecosystems in the Caribbean in partnership with the Government of Mexico, the United Nations Global Geographic Information Management Americas (UN-GGIM Americas), and the Association of Caribbean States.”

 

 Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Professor of Geospatial Information Engineering receives an official token of appreciation from Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, at his inaugural lecture on May 15th, 2025, at the LRC Auditorium, The UWI St. Augustine.

 Professor Ramlal’s academic credentials span international institutions: a PhD in Spatial Information Science and Engineering from the University of Maine, USA; an MSc in Map and Geo-information Production from the Netherlands; a BSc in Land Surveying from The UWI St. Augustine; and a Certificate in Education from the University of British Columbia.

 

 Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Professor of Geospatial Information Engineering with his wife, Mrs. Kelly Ramlal at his inaugural lecture on May 15th, 2025, at the LRC Auditorium, The UWI St. Augustine.

 The Professorial Inaugural Lecture Series at The UWI highlights the achievements of newly appointed professors and their contributions to academia, policy and public life. The full recording of Professor Ramlal’s lecture is available on The UWI St. Augustine YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEZ4OuJ-MR4  

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 About The University of the West Indies

 The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation, and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability, and development.

 

As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics, and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world.

 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

 

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