Graduate Studies and Research

It gives me an immense pleasure and honour to welcome you to the School for Graduate Studies and Research of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus.  Graduate Studies and Research has been playing a pivotal role in fostering research through critical thinking and innovation in the region.

Our campus has demonstrated research excellence by producing globally competent and recognized researchers in diverse academic disciplines. The research contributions of the St. Augustine Campus in food and agriculture, environment, medicine, engineering, science and technology, human resource development and education, creative arts and development of social policies and practices have been remarkable and contributed significantly to place the University at the top spot in the Caribbean and it has been globally recognized in the top 1.5% Universities.

You may be our new, continuing, or prospective student aspiring to join in one of our graduate programmes or a stakeholder interested in networking with us.

In this highly competitive world, I strongly advocate that one must acquire a graduate level degree that helps an individual to develop the specialist skills in the discipline and tackle the most challenging situations dexterously and independently.

Research oriented higher studies certainly sharpen your critical thinking processes and problem-solving skills. These skills are necessary in every aspect of life, starting from personal relations to professional career. Holding a graduate degree will place you in a highly advantageous position to pursue better employment opportunities, make you feel more confident in performing your professional duties, enhance your efficiency, kindle your deep-thinking processes, and challenge yourself in new ways than you never thought before.

As the challenges continue to burgeon in all areas including agri-food sector, science and technology, health and social systems, engineering and communication, cultural and social values affecting the human life, environment and sustainability, the exigency of research has become more important than before and continues to increase further. Since research creates new insight and realization towards our learning, I am highly confident that it can provide better solutions to the problems arising in the region and it could be addressed through your high-quality research projects and theses.

I invite you to navigate our diverse taught master and graduate research programmes. Our taught master programmes have been designed to suit and facilitate the registration of regional and global students.  

I am highly confident that you will find your area of interest from our eight core faculties of the St. Augustine Campus. If not, I would be pleased to guide you with our highly qualified team of academic and administrative staff, to achieve your academic goals beyond the boundaries.

You not only have an opportunity to pursue courses through traditional degree programmes, but registration for short courses and stand-alone courses could be facilitated under the contemporary Continuing Professional Education framework. Graduate students, you also have an opportunity to apply for postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to pursue your dreams.

I also take this opportunity to extend my interest in networking with the universities, research institutes, government agencies and industries across the globe to innovate and research to provide solutions for the betterment of life of all forms and all spheres in this world.

Graduate Studies and Research has committed to provide excellent service in quality research and programmes. I strongly believe that this can only be possible through feedback and support of all stakeholders. In this context, I request your valuable and constructive suggestions and feedback that could potentially impact and positively improve the services of Graduate Studies and Research. Please feel free to drop an email, send a message to schedule a meeting or call me on matters that require attention.

I look forward to working with you in any one of the forementioned opportunities and I wish you a pleasant experience in our programmes and networking, all success and the very best in your endeavours!

I end by quoting the words of Thomas A. Edison who has been regarded as the Father of Invention: “Genius is One Percent Inspiration and Ninety-nine Percent Perspiration”.

Best regards,

Prof. Duraisamy Saravanakumar