September 2013


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Message from the Principal: Come see what research can do

It is not easy to persuade people of the value of research. Research, by its very nature, requires time and resources, two commodities that often get short shrift because most would prefer to invest in projects and measures that bear fruit quickly.

Often, research in fields that seem obscure or irrelevant to issues commanding public attention is frowned upon as a waste of that same time and resources.

Yet, in developing societies, in spaces like ours, where we are blessed with many unique circumstances through our history, geography and economies, we need to create and nurture ways of seeing and doing things that fit and suit our needs and tastes and do this differently. We need to imagine a new future for our societies. So we need to better understand ourselves and our environment before we can fully explore our capacities. The research we do here at the St. Augustine Campus, including our Medical Sciences Faculty at Mt. Hope, spans an extraordinarily large range, but too little of it is visible to the public, though its impact is felt at many levels.

But our research needs funding and this is why in the lead-up to the national Budget presentation, I had encouraged governmental support for an increase in expenditure in this area. We know in lean economic times, these are areas that commonly get pushed down the ladder. But if The UWI is to deliver on its mandate of teaching, research and service, then any diminution of the research effort, will result in a poorer country and region. We must summon the will to create a fertile ground for research, innovation and creativity to thrive. Trinidad and Tobago is best poised to do this but it requires the commitment and collaboration of our private and public sectors, our tertiary institutions and civil society.

In the first week of October, we are hosting a Research Expo, to which we invite the public. Here, we will offer a sample of some of the outstanding research being done at the university, and I promise you, it will be both informative and memorable.

More importantly, it will be a demonstration of local capacity that will surely convince anyone that the time and resources we have so far invested in research are worth every cent, and then some.

EDITORIAL TEAM

Campus Principal: Professor Clement Sankat
Director of Marketing and Communications: Mrs. Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill
Director of Marketing and Communications (Ag.): Mrs. Wynell Gregorio
Editor: Ms. Vaneisa Baksh

Contact us:
The UWI Marketing and Communications Office
Tel: (868) 662-2002 exts. 82013, 82014
Email: uwitoday@sta.uwi.edu