“In our ever changing world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, mathematics will become even more important in the future for careers,” said Professor Adesh Ramsubhag, Dean of UWI St Augustine’s the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST).
Prof Ramsubhag was addressing faculty, secondary school students, and teachers at the opening of The UWI Math Fair 2026 on February 5, 2026 at Engineering Lecture Theatre 1 on the St Augustine campus.
“While AI can automate many tasks,” he said, “human reasoning, judgment, and interpretation, as well as quantitative skills such as data analytics, become more valuable than ever.”
The Math Fair, now in its eighth year, encourages secondary school students to learn and enjoy mathematics, teaches them about career opportunities in the field, and shows the indispensable influence of mathematics across industries. The fair is hosted by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (DMS) within FST.
“This Ministry of Education–approved educational event complements classroom teaching while motivating learners through teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking,” a statement from UWI St Augustine read.
Themed “Island Innovators: Mathematics Powering the Future”, this year’s event looked at how the students of today could one day be the problem-solvers of tomorrow.
“Our region faces unique challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and economic shifts,” said Prof Duraisamy Saravanakumar, UWI St Augustine’s Director of Graduate Studies and Research. “We need your logical, mathematical minds to solve them.”
Prof Saravanakumar expressed the hope that the experience would inspire them to study at The UWI and learn to become island innovators.
Throughout the day, 3,080 students explored the campus’s JFK Quadrangle, JFK Auditorium, JFK Lecture Theatre, and the Learning Resource Centre Greens, visiting some 30 booths and other displays. They came from schools all over Trinidad.
Inter-school competitions included the Math Quiz and Feud, Math Creativity Contest, Math Modelling, and the Teachers’ Game Design Challenge, allowing students to win prizes. The Math Feud competition was an event highlight. The winning team was The Limit Breakers, made up of students from St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando, Caribbean Union College, and Naparima College. Team Pi-thons placed second with members from Holy Faith Convent Couva, Naparima College, and Parvati Girls Hindu College.
The students also conversed with faculty, event sponsors, and even current university students about opportunities for study and careers in mathematics and STEM fields. At The UWI Math Society booth, society president Rayal Grant said the students showed interest in careers as well as the lesser known applications for mathematics in professional fields.
Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education Dr Peter Smith told the audience at the opening ceremony that “mathematics is the quiet engine behind almost everything shaping our future”. Handling the anxiety many people feel for the subject, he said, involves “recognising that mathematics is not culture-free, but rather deeply connected to cultural, social and environmental context”.
Prof Sreedhara Rao Gunakala, Head of the DMS, described the opening ceremony’s featured speaker, Dr Philbert Morris, as someone who lives “at the intersection of abstract mathematical theory and practical reality in academia”.
A mathematician and lead of his own software transportation consulting firm, Dr Morris gave an insightful perspective on the purpose of mathematics.
“The idea of mathematics is not so much as a problem-solving tool, but as an abstraction for removing all the garbage,” he said. “And once you do that, you get something that you can then reapply to several different things. Think of using mathematics to look at problems in a way in which you abstract, simplify, and see the problem. Nothing else. You focus on the problem. And that is the strength of mathematics.”
The opening session also featured special presentations of plaques to scholars who have contributed to mathematics education. Dr Charles de Matas was recognised as a cornerstone of the DMS from 1996 until his retirement in 2025. He continues to do research which he shares on his YouTube channel. Prof of Physics Indra Haraksingh, recognised internationally for her work in renewable energy, has given decades of commitment to the Trinidad and Tobago Mathematics Olympiad and to coaching students for international competition.
Event sponsors for UWI Math Fair 2026 were the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC Caribbean), Unipet, Dominoes, Bermudez, and Optometrists Today.
For more information on The UWI Math Fair 2026, visit their site at www.uwimathfair.com
