“Many wonder why - with a PhD in Financial Law and specialist in Labour Law, I have focussed so much on rights, equity, and justice. The reason is that very early on I realised that the sine qua non of all the work I could possibly do as a lawyer and academic was rooted in social justice. Ultimately, the common denominator is wanting to improve lives.
I intend to place this at the centre of what we do at The UWI St Augustine. For me, the meaning of civil liberties, like equality, resides in economic and social rights enshrined in education, health, work, water, and the environment. When the big buildings and grandiose schemes are gone, what will be remembered is the collective, humanistic intellectual force that lives in The UWI.”
“While our significant UWI contribution has not diminished, it has become invisibilised. Individual consultants flourish but UWI’s collective voice and presence need to be stronger. The housewife must appreciate that the yam or sanitiser she buys in the supermarket are innovations from our labs.
We are too often the quiet soldiers in not so quiet revolutions. My job is to ensure that we remain visible, that all stakeholders look to The UWI to do the important developmental work of the region, and to nurture our staff to be able to be champions of change. This in itself can increase our market value and bring tangible economic benefits.”
“My philosophy has always been that a university, this campus - must be entrenched in its community to have relevance.
We cannot retreat and become reactionary – we must be proactive, thought-leaders and problem-solvers. I want to expand the UWI from the classroom to the communities. Scholarship should be taken to the people. It is then that our research, our teaching, will be grounded and transformative.”
“In my frame of education for true development, I propose a more progressive approach to access, expanding to the under-served and forgotten. Not just the urban poor but the rural under-served. We have been insensitive to the socio-economic and socio-cultural constraints (even ethnic and gender) to accessing education, especially in our professions. Admissions can no longer be based purely on CAPE results.
I have asked my colleagues to reconsider and refashion our approach to access to The UWI to encompass a broader vision that examines deep structural issues in the society, to consider other desirable attributes that we wish to inculcate in our graduates. This is not path breaking. The Rhodes and other scholarships emphasise not just academics, but leadership and extracurricular activities.”
“Decades of interdisciplinary research and education on climate change including futuristic agriculture, the blue economy, renewables, and its health deficits, have placed us at the forefront of this global threat. Yet, at this moment of urgency, great research is necessary but not sufficient. We must do more.
It is an absolute imperative for us to bring the science, not just to policymakers, but to the people, to have real impact and help to save the planet and ourselves. The average citizen must identify with it, experience it, and believe in it. The apathy is frightening.
To set the example, I have started to green the campus and am working to finalise an agreement with Blue Waters to set up a recycling post.”
“Converting our intellectual efforts into monetary gain through a more entrepreneurial thrust, including social entrepreneurship, remains a key agenda for my tenure, as it has been for at least three previous administrative regimes. This campus has been a UWI leader.
Several of our innovative products are already patented and certified. We continue to source the right manufacturers and investment partners from the private sector to leverage these exciting opportunities to commercialise – from lab to shelf - like our patented sealants, roofing compounds, fingerprinting classification system, etc.
Last month, we were finally able to fulfil the dream of our internationally renowned Cocoa Research Centre. We obtained funding and awarded the contract for a cocoa factory.
I am grateful for the already emerging initiatives and partnerships from giants in our private sector in the first few months of my tenure – such as the Sabga family, with whom plans are underway to establish an ANSA McAL UWI Entrepreneurship Fund.
We are also moving ahead with the planned UWI Global (offshore) School of Medicine, building on decades of recognised first-rate medical teaching and research.”
“Meeting the needs of students and preparing them for this new, more complex world will remain a top priority. These are times when the very relevance of university education is being challenged. We need to recalibrate our programming to encourage active and on-the-job learning.
We must have sustainable fees for the campus, if we are to survive, but we must also protect our students by speaking more directly with banks and the private sector, and by increasing bursaries and promoting innovative bond arrangements in exchange for financial assistance and loan schemes.”
