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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 3RD JULY, 2016
MEET THE NEW PRINCIPAL
The
Copeland
Plan
The new Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal
at UWI St. Augustine,
Professor Brian Copeland, cuts an unassuming figure as he moves about the
Campus with his knapsack on his back, his laptop enclosed for safekeeping and
easy access.
It is not a sight associated with any of the previous Campus Principals. But
Professor Copeland is a first in many other ways as well – he is the first Campus
Principal who was awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
(ORTT) in 2008 by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for his work as an
innovator. The year before that he was part of the team receiving the Chaconia
Medal Gold for Music Innovation and in 2002, he got the Prime Minister’s Award
for Innovation.
As he takes the helm for the first time, one aspect of the Professor’s vision is
his desire to infuse the spirit of innovation-based entrepreneurship throughout
the Campus community. He knows that there is ambivalence towards this as many
academics are worried that this push toward innovation and entrepreneurship will
result in a reduction of research activity. To him, there is no dilemma because both
activities are complementary.
“One feeds the other and if you do your innovation and entrepreneurship well,
you will find that it [the research] is better funded.” He says that in the Caribbean
region, public and private sector contributions to research are way below the world
standard. His goal is to commercialize the research so that it becomes profitable –
By the time you read this, the official transition would
have been made and
Professor Brian Copeland
is now
the eighth Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the
St. Augustine Campus of The UWI. Prof Copeland
succeeds
Professor Clement Sankat
who held the
position of Campus Principal from 2008 to June 30,
2016. Professor Copeland offered some insight into his
philosophies of leadership as he spoke with
UWI TODAY
Editor,
Vaneisa Baksh
, before assuming the helm.
