News Releases

Three Caribbean Nationals to Receive UWI St. Augustine Honorary Doctorates

For Release Upon Receipt - October 13, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago, October 13th, 2025– Three remarkable Caribbean nationals, each a symbol of excellence in their field, will be honoured by The UWI St. Augustine Campus during the 2025 Graduation Ceremonies. Cultural pioneer Mungal Patasar, medical innovator Professor Niranjan Kissoon and business leader Nigel Louis Romano will receive honorary doctorates in recognition of their dedication to advancing Caribbean creativity, health and enterprise on the world stage.

The ceremonies will be held from October 23 to 25, 2025, at The UWI St. Augustine Campus, celebrating the honourees’ lifelong commitment to excellence, innovation and service to the Caribbean. The details are as follows:

·         Mr Nigel Louis Romano, Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa

 

 Nigel Louis Romano, chartered accountant and business leader

Nigel Louis Romano is a Chartered Accountant, executive leader and corporate governance expert whose four-decade career has shaped financial strategy and organisational growth across the Caribbean and Asia. A proud UWI alumnus and Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago (ICATT), Mr. Romano holds degrees in Management Studies (BSc) and Accounting (MSc) from The UWI St. Augustine, and an Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute.

Beginning his career at KPMG in 1977, Mr. Romano rose to the position of Senior Manager before joining Citibank in 1988 as Chief Financial Officer for Trinidad and Tobago. Over the next two decades, he held senior leadership roles across Asia, including Regional Director of Quality and Business Processes for the Asia Pacific region and Head of Citigroup Business Services for 19 countries. Returning to the Caribbean, he served as Sector Head of Financial Services at ANSA McAL, Director of Finance and Corporate Planning at the Caribbean Development Bank and Managing Director/CEO of JMMB Bank (T&T) Limited.

Following his retirement in 2019, Mr. Romano joined Moore Trinidad and Tobago as Senior Director of Business Consultancy Services, where he continues to advise clients on strategy, leadership and transformation. An advocate for good governance and sustainable business leadership, he has served as Chairman of the UWI Development and Endowment Fund (2017–2020), Chairman of National Flour Mills Limited (2016–2024), and now chairs the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute. He also serves on several major boards, including ANSA Merchant Bank Limited (where he chairs the Audit and Risk Committee), Genesis Insurance Brokers and Benefits Consultants Limited and the Electrical Industries Group, where he chairs the Commercial Committee.

Mr. Romano will be conferred with the Doctor of Laws (LLD) on October 24, 2025 at the graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Social Sciences.

 

·         Mr. Mungal Patasar, Doctor of Letters (DLitt), honoris causa

 

 Mungal Patasar, musician, composer and cultural innovator

A pioneering musician, composer and cultural ambassador, Mungal Patasar has redefined the soundscape of Trinidad and Tobago through his seamless fusion of Indian classical traditions and Caribbean rhythms. His mastery of the sitar and steelpan has made him a leading figure in world music and a symbol of cross-cultural innovation.

Recipient of a Government of Trinidad and Tobago award in 1986, Mr. Patasar earned a Bachelor of Music from Banaras Hindu University and a Master of Music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti in India, graduating in 1990. Returning home, he founded the acclaimed ensemble Mungal Patasar and Pantar, which has performed on prestigious stages such as the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Roskilde Festival (Denmark) and St. Lucia Jazz Festival.

His numerous honours include the Hummingbird Gold Medal (1994), Cacique Award for Best Original Music (1995), First Citizens Maestro Extraordinaire Award (2005), Queen’s Hall Award for Excellence in Music (2009) and recognition from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation (2016) for his contribution to the preservation and promotion of Indian culture in the Caribbean.

A lifelong advocate for creative collaboration, he continues to inspire artists to “look beyond the horizons of narrow walls” and use music as a bridge between cultures.

Mr. Patasar will be conferred with the Doctor of Letters (DLitt) on October 25, 2025 at the graduation ceremony for the Faculties of Humanities and Education and Sport.

 

·         Professor Niranjan Kissoon, Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa

 

 Professor Niranjan Kissoon, paediatric critical care expert and global health advocate

Professor Niranjan Kissoon is an internationally renowned physician, researcher and educator whose pioneering work in paediatric critical care and global health has transformed treatment standards and saved countless lives across continents.

Currently serving as Professor of Paediatrics and Surgery (Emergency Medicine) at the University of British Columbia, Professor Kissoon also leads major international initiatives as President of the Global Sepsis Alliance, Co-chair of the Paediatric Surviving Sepsis Campaign, Vice-President of the Canadian Sepsis Alliance and founding member of the Caribbean Sepsis and Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance. His advocacy for the early recognition and treatment of sepsis has shaped global clinical guidelines and strengthened healthcare systems worldwide.

Professor Kissoon’s exceptional career has been recognised through numerous awards, including the BNS Walia PGIMER Golden Jubilee Oration Award (2015), Society of Critical Care Medicine’s Master in Critical Care Medicine Award, University of British Columbia Outstanding Academic Performance Award (2018), Drs. Vidyasagar and Nagamani Dharmapuri Award (2020) and the UWI Distinguished Alumni Award (2023).

Through his leadership, scholarship and unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for the most vulnerable, Professor Kissoon continues to advance the global movement for equitable, evidence-based critical care.

Professor Kissoon will be conferred with the Doctor of Science (DSc) on October 25, 2025 at the graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

 

The UWI St. Augustine Campus invites the public to celebrate these distinguished honourees by viewing the 2025 Graduation Ceremonies, streamed live from October 23 to 25, 2025, on UWI TV and The UWI St. Augustine Facebook Page.

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 

 

 

Contact