SUNDAY 19 MARCH, 2017 – UWI TODAY
3
EDITORIAL TEAM
CAMPUS PRINCIPAL
Professor Brian Copeland
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Dr Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill
EDITOR (Ag.)
Joel Henry
CONTACT US
The UWI Marketing and Communications Office
Tel: (868) 662-2002, exts. 82013 / 83997 or email:
CAMPUS NEWS
Two key Caribbean institutions
have joined forces. In January 2017 the
Caribbean Court of Justice launched a new electronic court management
system that will enhance its efficiency and its accessibility for regional users.
The CCJ has signed an agreement with The UWI St. Augustine’s Department
of Mathematics and Statistics (DMS) to develop the financial structure for the
system’s electronic filing component.
The CCJ’s Electronic Case Management System is made up of several
components, one of thembeing Folio, an e-filing portal. Attorneys and litigants
can use Folio to file cases online. A crucial part of this service is developing a
transparent and fair fee structure for users. The technical expertise for this will
be provided by the Actuarial Science Programme of the UWI DMS.
In January, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Brian
Copeland signed a memorandum of understanding with Sir Dennis Byron,
President of the CCJ, at the Court in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
The Actuarial Science Programme was launched in September 2011. It
is headed by Mr. Stokeley Smart.
On a Digital Path
Caribbean Court turns to The UWI
Speaking of leverag ing culture,
Carnival 2017 was yet another year of our
highly successful UWI Fete. UWI Fete
2017, “Wanderlust – Taste the World”
brought together a massive gathering for
an extremely worthwhile cause. The event,
an initiative of the UWI Development and
Endowment Fund (UWIDEF), provides
tuition support for worthy students from
the region. In a nation that has developed
world-class expertise in festivals, UWI
Fete stands out as one of the best. It will
forever be remembered as the very first all-
inclusive Carnival fete. Congratulations to
the UWIDEF Committee and their support
team.
This year we took part in Carnival and
we also took it apart. The Cultural Studies
Section of the Department of Literary,
Cultural and Communications Studies,
brought together scholars, entrepreneurs,
artists and policymakers for a two-day
examination of the festival. This event,
“Memory Politics and Performance in
the Trinidad Carnival Complex” is an
outstanding example of the University at
its best – venturing beyond the campus,
sharing ideas with stakeholders, and seeking
workable and sustainable solutions.That is a
model that we can and should apply not only
to culture but to any area where our research
and expertise can bring value to the society.
PROFESSOR BRIAN COPELAND
Campus Principal
At the timeofwriting,
the wonder that is
Trinidad and Tobago’s
Carnival season has
come to a close. I
s p e c i f y Tr i n i d a d
and Tobago because
in the world today
the phenomenon of
Carnival is now global in context. What
began as a creative statement of enslaved
people has bloomed beyond all reckoning.
Today Carnival is spreading over the globe,
bringing with it a benevolent hegemony of
music, dance and of course, mas.
Culture is one of the greatest assets of a
people. As the Caribbean institution tasked
with regional development, The University
of the West Indies has an irreplaceable role
in culture. We are and must continue to be
its stewards. We must preserve it for future
generations. We must promote it – both as a
source of economic activity and for its own
sake as a representation of our identity. We
must examine it, celebrate its excellence but
also recognise its failings and work for its
improvement. I ampleased to say that in 2017
we took that responsibility very seriously.
This Carnival, the Department for
Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) continued
its outstanding leadership in the creative
sphere with Old Yard 2017. This innovative
event does so many things at once. It is a
teaching tool for students. It is a cultural
preservation and promotion exercise. It is an
income generating activity that illustrates the
entrepreneurial value in cultural properties.
Furthermore, this is just one of many DCFA
activities, on and off campus, that support
and leverage culture simultaneously.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
OUR ROLE IN CULTURE
UWI Team takes part
in HarvardModel UN
TheUWI was represented
by a delegation of 16 at the HarvardNational Model
United Nations (HNMUN) from February 16-19 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The teamwas made up of students from the St. Augustine, Cave Hill andMona
Campuses. St. Augustine was represented by four post graduate students.
Kurba-Marie Questelles, Kia Jaikaran, Andrew Lavia and Andel Andrew
were assigned to Poland and participated on two committees: the Disarmament
and International Security Committee (GA-DISEC) and the Special Political
and Decolonisation Committee (GA-SPECPOL). The students were expected
to analyse and frame a resolution for two main topics.
HNMUN is a replication of the United Nations General Assembly. It
brings together over 3,000 students and faculty from colleges and universities
around the world and allows participants to experience and tackle challenges
associated with international negotiation and diplomacy. Delegates gain
insights into the works of the United Nations by actively participating in the
resolution of global issues. Participants work with hundreds of other motivated
students with the common goals of strengthening international awareness.
From left: Kurba-Marie Questelles, Andel Andrew, Andrew Lavia, Professor
Jessica Byron (Director of the Institute of International Relations), Campus
Principal Professor Brian Copeland and Kia Jaikaran at a small gathering before
the students journeyed to the Harvard National Model United Nations.
PHOTO: ATIBA CUDJOE
