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From Political Detainee to Pioneer: Emeritus Professor Winston Suite’s Story Lives On

For Release Upon Receipt - August 4, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago –August 4th,2025 — In a lecture as moving as it was masterful, Emeritus Professor Winston Suite offered a rare and deeply personal account of his journey through engineering, academia and law — and the unplanned events that shaped a defining Caribbean career in project management.

 Held on June 25 at The UWI St. Augustine Campus, the event marked the launch of a new lecture series hosted by the Project Management Office of the Faculty of Engineering. Titled “My Journey from Graduate Civil Engineer to Project Manager – An Apologia,” the lecture opened what will become a biannual tradition honouring the architects of project management in the region.

 

 Emeritus Professor Winston Suite, retired Professor of Civil Engineering, delivers his open lecture discussing his contributions to society and his pivotal role in establishing the Project Management Programme, on June 25th, 2025, at the Teaching and Learning Complex (TLC), The UWI St. Augustine.

 

 Professor Suite, known for his decades of scholarship and leadership at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), spoke candidly before an audience of students, faculty, alumni and professionals gathered at the Teaching and Learning Complex.

 “I didn’t want to be an engineer,” he told the room. “But it’s as if engineering chose me — a calling I didn’t know I was obeying.”

 From a young teacher caught in the crosscurrents of political upheaval during the 1970’s Black Power Movement in Trinidad to a political detainee, Professor Suite’s life took a series of unexpected turns. It was not ambition, but circumstance, that first led him to engineering — a field he had not initially chosen and that he would come to redefine through both academic rigour and practical wisdom.

 His message to young professionals was clear: aim not just to succeed, but to excel.

“Whatever you do, do it to the best you can,” he said. “You must want to be very good.”

 Professor Suite’s reflections struck a balance between humility and clarity of purpose. He spoke not only of the challenges he faced but of the enduring lessons they offered — about discipline, excellence, and the necessity of lifelong learning. At the heart of the lecture was a generous gesture: the passing down of lived experience to a new generation.

 

 Emeritus Professor Winston Suite, retired Professor of Civil Engineering receives an official token of appreciation from Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Bheshem Ramlal, at his open lecture on June 25th, 2025, at the Teaching and Learning Complex (TLC), The UWI St. Augustine.

 

 “This autobiographical journey,” he said, “I would bequeath to young engineers — my legacy and experience” underscoring the lecture’s deeper intent: to mentor a new generation through reflection.

 Professor Suite’s influence reaches far beyond lecture halls. His work helped formalise project management education in the Caribbean and laid the groundwork for a new generation of thinkers and leaders in the field. This lecture was not simply a recollection; it was a call to integrity, intellect, and intentionality in professional life.

 The full lecture is now available to the public via The UWI St. Augustine YouTube Channel at My Journey from Graduate Civil Engineer to Project Manager – An Apologia

  END

 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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