News Releases

Sustainable Agriculture, AI, Manufacturing, Tourism: Principal’s Research Awards & Festival 2025

For Release Upon Receipt - November 17, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago – November 17th 2025- Sustainable and cost-effective farming, locally developed AI tools for business and education, a national blueprint for a renewable energy economy, The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St Augustine has spawned these and many other breakthroughs in research. From November 26 to 28, The UWI invites the private sector, government and the general public to its annual celebration of this work at the Principal’s Research Awards and Festival 2025. 

 This year’s festival is themed “Research Innovation for Present and Future”, and as the campus marks its 65th anniversary, it showcases the strong tradition of research that has been its hallmark. The Principal’s Research Awards will be held on November 26 at the Daaga Auditorium. The campus will give awards in 12 categories in areas such as Best Researcher, Most Impactful Community Research, Most Outstanding Graduate Researcher & Mentorship Award, Hurricane and Earthquake Alleviation Research (HEAR) Award and many more. 

 This year will be the second for the awarding of the Hurricane and Earthquake Alleviation Research (HEAR) Award. With a TT$10,000 prize, the HEAR Award was specifically created to be open to secondary school students, teachers and other tertiary-level institutions, to encourage research in these crucial areas for Caribbean disaster preparedness. 

 On November 27 and 28, the Festival will become an expo with booths featuring research on agriculture and value addition, tourism, manufacturing and trade, creative industries and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be set up at the campus’s JFK Quadrangle. Panel discussions, oral and poster presentations, guided tours and a cultural showcase exhibiting research through music, dance and films will fill the day. 

 The second instalment of the Principal’s High Level Business Breakfast is also a feature of this year’s activities. The UWI Made products from the campus will be highlighted, giving executives unique opportunities to invest in them. In addition, on Friday, November 28, approximately one hundred delegates will be invited to attend the University-Industry-Government Partnerships for a Research Innovation workshop to inform them of the opportunities for collaboration ahead. 

 “Research is about finding answers,” says Professor Duraisamy Saravanakumar -Director, Graduate Studies and Research “answers to boost national development, support industry, solve social ills and make our country and region more happy, prosperous, and healthy through data driven approaches” 

 “That is the mission of our researchers; and the purpose of this festival is to recognise them for their work, share it with as large an audience as possible, and create and strengthen linkages to find the best possible applications for them, as well as embark on new research to respond to the present needs of society for building sustainable future.” 

 The Principal’s Research Awards and Festival 2025 will be held from November 26 to 28 at The UWI St Augustine Campus. For more information, visit sta.uwi.edu/researchawards or UWI St Augustine’s social media pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  

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Photo 1: UWI Student engaging with an agricultural booth showcasing innovative research and sustainable practices at the Research Festival 2023 at the JFK Quadrangle, The UWI St. Augustine Campus. 

Photo 2: Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, explores a research project on display at the Research Festival 2023 at The UWI St. Augustine Campus. 

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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