News Releases

UWI Brings Experts Together to Tackle Crime, Economic Shocks, Climate Flooding and Food Insecurity

For Release Upon Receipt - December 22, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago – December 22nd 2025 - The Academic–Industry Exchange: ‘Advancing Impact-Driven Collaboration’, created a unique platform to strengthen ties between academia and industry through dialogue, innovation and evidence-based solutions. At the event held on November 24, 2025 by the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) at The UWI St. Augustine, the Exchange was hailed as a deliberate shift from the traditional academic conferences with academic paper presentations, to a focus on action-oriented engagement, by connecting research with real-world needs and translating scholarly findings into tangible, evidence-based solutions.

 As part of its vision, the FSS is focused on being socially engaged and solutions-oriented and it is this vision that has motivated the design of the Exchange. This initiative aims to facilitate significant discussions on critical issues such as crime, economic crises, climate-induced flooding, foreign exchange shortages and food inflation and to bring academics and practitioners together to explore solutions to these societal issues over the next five to ten years.

 

 The moderators’ panel for the presentation on “Community Policing and Public Trust” at the Academic–Industry Exchange, “Advancing Impact-Driven Collaboration,” hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences in the FSS Lounge on 24 November 2025.

 This year’s event featured two concurrent panel sessions, the first being ‘Community Policing and Public Trust’, moderated by Dr. Randy Seepersad, Lecturer (Department of Behavioural Sciences), Criminologist and Coordinator of the Criminology Unit. The second session, ‘Health Technology Assessment: Optimal Decisions, Healthier Population’, was moderated by Dr. Henry Bailey, Senior Lecturer (Department of Economics), Deputy Dean - Distance Education and Outreach.

 

 The moderators’ panel for the presentation on “Health Technology Assessment: Optimal Decisions, Healthier Population” at the Academic–Industry Exchange, “Advancing Impact-Driven Collaboration,” hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences in the FSS Lounge on 24 November 2025.

   Dr. Bailey highlighted the impact of the Exchange by pointing to the inclusion of a forum on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and noted, “This is a field that brings together economics, medicine, sociology, and other sciences to identify which are the optimal or best new interventions, drugs or procedures to introduce into a country or into a health system. The UWI St Augustine has conducted a lot of research that has helped other countries to make these decisions. The forum at the Academic–Industry Exchange brought together economists, physicians, pharmaceutical firms, sociologists, patient advocates, public health administrators and officials to discuss ways of introducing HTA tools into the health system in Trinidad and Tobago.”

 

 Dr. Henry Bailey, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics and Deputy Dean of Distance Education and Outreach, moderates the 2025 Academic–Industry Exchange, “Advancing Impact-Driven Collaboration”, on “Health Technology Assessment: Optimal Decisions, Healthier Population,” hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences in the FSS Lounge on 24 November 2025.

  Through case study-driven discussions and active audience participation, each panel examined current challenges within their respective sectors and proposed practical, actionable solutions. Emphasising collaboration with clear national relevance, the Exchange aimed to bridge the gap between research and real-world application. Reflecting on this outcome, Dr. Seepersad noted that “Discussions at the AIE allowed the Homeland Security panel to identify core policing problems, develop and suggest potential solutions, and highlight possible areas for further research, all of which now form the foundation for upcoming engagements with the Ministry.”

 

 Dr. Randy Seepersad, Lecturer in the Department of Behavioural Sciences, Criminologist, and Coordinator of the Criminology Unit, delivers his presentation on “Community Policing and Public Trust” at the Academic–Industry Exchange, “Advancing Impact-Driven Collaboration,” hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences in the FSS Lounge on 24 November 2025.

 The Academic–Industry Exchange underscored the importance of convening experts across sectors to foster deepened mutual understanding and thereby catalyze new partnerships, research agendas and opportunities for sustained collaboration and innovation well beyond the event.

 

 Attendees engage attentively with the presentations at the Academic–Industry Exchange, “Advancing Impact-Driven Collaboration,” held in the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) Lounge on 24 November 2025.

 

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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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