SUNDAY 7 APRIL 2019 – UWI TODAY
3
The story of every institution begins the same.
First
there is a need. Perhaps a need to feed the community
or to protect it. Perhaps a need to educate the society.
From that shared purpose individuals come together,
bringing their ideas, the processes available to them and
the technology of the time to build the institution. It’s as
simple as that, fromneed to collective action to institution.
This is how every great institution was born. This is how
The University of the West Indies was born.
But there is a special danger for great institutions. In
fact, the greater the institution, the greater the danger. The
world is always changing. The Caribbean of 70 years ago
is not the Caribbean of today. It’s not the Caribbean of 50
years ago or 25 years ago. Some would argue it’s not even
the same Caribbean as five years ago. With the passage
of time there has been an explosion of technology, a
renaissance of process and a new world of ideas. Even the
fundamental needs of Caribbean society have evolved. If
we wish to not only survive but be a prosperous institution
we have to always ask the question - have we kept pace?
Are we evolving alongside the society we were established
to serve? And, if the society itself is lagging, are we doing
everything we can to propel it forward?
This March the St Augustine Campus held its annual
Campus Council meeting, bringing together members
of the university’s executive management, our own
campus administrative team, student representatives and
members of civil society. The purpose of the meeting was
to ask these very questions. We took account of what has
been accomplished in the previous year and we outlined
our vision for the new year. Many words were spoken.
Presentations were given. Protocols were followed. But
underneath it all was the most basic of drives - fulfilling
the purpose for which this institution was created.
The theme of this year’s Council meeting was “Bold
Strokes”. Bold strokes are required. And I was very pleased
to see in the presentations of our Deputy Principal
Professor Indar Ramnarine and faculty heads the way
in which they have taken on this spirit of bold action. In
every presentation I saw and heard colleagues committed
to the evolution of the campus. This is not easy work. As
the saying goes “there is comfort in the familiar”. But it
is necessary work.
(For more information on the Campus
Council meeting see our page four story).
This Campus Council was the first for our new Chair
Ms Sharon Christopher. We are truly fortunate to have
someone with the dynamism and professional pedigree
of Ms Christopher in this vital role. Not only is she
committed to the development of Trinidad and Tobago
and the region, she is also acutely aware of the importance
of our institutions and confident in their ability to grow,
change and serve society. In fact, in her previous role
on the executive management team of First Citizens
she was a major contributor to the bank’s evolution and
astounding success. Her contribution to the Council will
be invaluable.
This means that 2019 will be the first year in over
a decade without Mr Ewart Williams in the chairman’s
seat. Mr Williams, quite simply, is a great citizen of
Trinidad and Tobago. He is one of those rare examples
of an individual who possesses not only outstanding
attributes of intellect, professionalism and presence, but
also patriotism, conscientiousness and empathy. When I
became Campus Principal he was already Council Chair,
and his steadiness, insight and command over the Council
meetings provided great reassurance. The foundation for
many of the initiatives that are being implemented at UWI
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
PROFESSOR BRIAN COPELAND
Campus Principal
TOPROSPER,WEMUSTEVOLVE
The gathering benefited enormously as well from
the contribution of Mr Hinds, who spoke on behalf of
the private sector. His insight on the need for better
communication with the business community and
understanding the beliefs that motivate them when
developing plans (and in the case of Government policies)
to reach out to them, was particularly relevant.
We were most encouraged by the strong words of
support from Minister Gopee-Scoon for our endeavours.
Despite the fiscal challenges they face, Government has
shown interest and receptiveness for our initiatives to
redefine and expand the University’s role in fostering
entrepreneurship and innovation. The Minister continued
that trend in her remarks.
At St Augustine we have already embarked on the
process of deep collaboration with the private sector. Our
campus team is led by Professor of Practice Gerry Brooks.
Professor Brooks is a private sector powerhouse known
for his successes as Chief Operating Officer at the Ansa
McAl Group and his current post as Chairman of the
National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC).
UWI St Augustine is in consultation with some very
significant players in the private sector and we are grateful
for their support.
In that very meeting I gave those in attendance a
date of October 2019 for the launch of the St Augustine
Campus Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.
The ecosystem will be a haven for innovators, spin-off
companies and academics and researchers with the critical
skills necessary to fulfill the needs of the business sector.
Yes, October is just months away, but our team has
been working up to this moment for quite some time. As
I said in the beginning, we went back to the fundamental
questions - what is the need? What tools do we we have
or can we acquire? How can this institution best serve the
society? And when we answered those questions we took
action, bold action. And so UWI St Augustine evolves.
St Augustine today were laid during his tenure and with
his guidance and support. Mr Williams will be missed
as Council Chair. However he is still a member of our
campus community. We thank him for his service.
On March 18, I was happy to sit on a panel with
Minister of Trade and Industry the Honourable Paula
Gopee-Scoon, UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary
Beckles, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber
of Industry and Commerce Ronald Hinds and Pro Vice-
Chancellor (PVC) Professor Densil Williams, PVC of
Academic-Industry Partnerships and Planning. The
theme of the gathering was consultation between The
UWI, the private sector and Government.
This type of partnership, which we have been
advocating and working towards at UWI St Augustine
for some years now, is crucial for ensuring The UWI’s
relevance, as well as supporting the development of
Caribbean entrepreneurship and innovation. In his
address, Sir Hilary pointed to several initiatives being
carried out by The UWI at the regional and international
levels to create the critical skills required in our people,
support governments and the private sector, and
establish the enabling environment for innovators and
entrepreneurs to thrive.
EDITORIAL TEAM
CAMPUS PRINCIPAL
Professor Brian Copeland
AG. DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
AND COMMUNICATIONS
Wynell Gregorio
AG. EDITOR
Joel Henry
email:
CONTACT US
The UWI Marketing and
Communications Office
Tel: (868) 662-2002, exts. 82013 / 83997
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If we wish to not only survive
but be a prosperous institution
we have to always ask the
question - have we kept pace?
Are we evolving alongside the
society we were established to
serve? And if the society itself is
lagging, are we doing everything
we can to propel it forward?
