SUNDAY 6 AUGUST, 2017 – UWI TODAY
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UWI MATTERS
For more information on the Faculty of Sport visit:
“If there’s one industry
that we can develop right now
to diversify our economies and make our economies
competitive, it is to build a sporting industry in our
region,” says The UWI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir
Hilary Beckles. He was speaking at the official launch of the
University’s Faculty of Sport on July 26 atThe UWI Regional
Headquarters in Jamaica.
Vice-Chancellor Beckles referenced a PWC report
which assessed the global sport industry to be worth an
estimated $145b and growing at an annual rate of 4.5%. “This
is something that we must now take very seriously. This
sporting industry is the place of the greatest convergence
in the global economy. It’s the place where all the industries
are interconnected.” He noted the obvious nexus between
sport and entertainment, sport and technology, sport and
medicine sport and tourism and many other industries.
“Sport is at the centre of all of that, translating into
economic growth. We’re hoping that our Faculty will do all
the relevant research, teaching and learning to participate
in that conversation with our investors, our entrepreneurs,
our public sector, our global manufacturers to enable that
focus to take place here in the Caribbean space that is so
rich in sporting talent.”
The Faculty of Sport is the first to be established at
The UWI in 40 years. The University Council approved
its recommendation in April this year and it becomes
operational in the 2017-2018 academic year.
Dr. Akshai Mansingh, Dean of the Faculty of Sport, was
not making sport. “For too long, sport has been a past-time
for the region. We really don’t have the superstar culture,
even though our first superstar walked onto the field in
1930 when George Headley made his Test debut,” he said.
Faculty of Sport Launched
“The creation of the Faculty of Sport gives an
opportunity to bring together all of the creative and scientific
minds of the region, while harnessing leaders in all aspects
of sports from throughout the world to offer the support to
the athletes, many of whomhave chosen tomake this region
their home to perfect their skills. But the Faculty of Sport
doesn’t only cater to those who play sports, but also to those
who play at sports. Creative academic minds with interest
in anything to do with sports will have the opportunity to
pursue their research, and practitioners such as coaches,
sports and conditioning experts, sports physiotherapists
etc., will also find a forum in this faculty as well,” he said.
Chair of the Faculty of Sport Task force, Pro Vice-
Chancellor and Mona Principal, Professor Archibald Mc
Donald said, “The launch of this new faculty will not only
aid in formally legitimising sports education, training and
research in the higher learning industry for the Caribbean,
but it will also aid in driving development and economic
growth prospects for our region. Sport is at the heart of our
regional identity.”
“We must begin to formally invest in this industry if we
expect to see greater returns for the future. The launch of
this faculty facilitatesThe UWI’s goal of laying the necessary
foundations inmoving the sport initiative in the Caribbean
in a right and positive direction. To build great athletes and
place our mark in the international sport industry we must
first invest in a centre of excellence here that explores the
research behind sport, which will engage in state-of-the-art
teaching and learning about the complexities of sport, whilst
providing the facilities and tools that will facilitate training
excellence in all fields of sport,” he said.
Dr. Akshai
Mansingh
named
Dean of
the Faculty
of Sport
Dr Akshai Mansingh
is a Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon and Sports Medicine Physician who has
looked after elite athletes throughout the region.
A graduate of The UWI, Dr Mansingh earned his
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and his
Doctor of Medicine, Orthopaedics degrees at the
Mona Campus. He also holds a Master’s in Sports
Medicine from the University of New South Wales
in Australia.
Dr Mansingh has been a lecturer in the
Department of Surgery, SportsMedicine inRadiology,
Anaesthetics and Intensive Care at The UWI, Mona
since 2007, as well as the Programme Director and
Course Author for the campus’ MSc Sports Medicine
degrees (for Physicians and Physiotherapists) since
2006. He is also the author of numerous publications
in his various specialisations and has written on
Methods for Injury Surveillance in International
Cricket among many other cricket and sport science
themes.
The creation of the Faculty of Sport gives an opportunity to bring together all of
the creative and scientific minds of the region, while harnessing leaders in all aspects
of sports from throughout the world to offer the support to the athletes, many of whom
have chosen to make this region their home to perfect their skills.
