The Life We Left Behind

The Life We Left Behind Disappearing Architecture is the title of a current exhibition at the Alma Jordan Library, featuring some of the work of artist, Jackie Hinkson. This building on the site of The UWI’s Health Education Unit at Warner Street, was once the residence of the DMO for the St. Augustine area. It was later converted into the first Law School building (run by the Council of Legal Education). For more on the exhibition, please see Page 13. PHOTO: SAFIYA ALFONSO. ECONOMY – 04 EDUCATION – 07 HONORARY Building Resilience Transforming Minds GRADUAND – 10 COTE 2012 Premium Teaching Awards Playful Science Maureen Manchouck PUBLIC HEALTH – 14 Walk for Sight Free Eye Care Symposium SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER, 2012 – UWI TODAY 3 CAMPUS NEWS FROM THE Principal It’s Half-Marathon Day! What Sets Us Apart The ninth annual UWI SPEC Interna- Charles tional Half-Marathon presented by First Spooner Just yesterday we bid adieu to the final graduating Citizens, got off in the wee hours of this class of 2012. I am confident that our graduates will morning, and by the time you read this, do well in their chosen careers, once they continue to have faith in themselves, to be humble and open the challenge between the Kenyan athletes to learning new things and bring the focus and and the cream of Caribbean distance run- discipline they have honed at UWI to whatever ners would have been decided. tasks they may face. This year, our graduates The lead-up to this premier running totaled 3,643: 2,710 at the undergraduate level event had been rife with speculation over and 933 at the postgraduate level (a 6% increase the potency of what was deemed the here). We conferred doctoral degrees on 22 Kenyan challenge – on the men’s side, led PhD students, an unprecedented figure! As an by defending champion George Towett, institution that has traditionally distinguished itself in the area of research, the UWI St. Augustine campus salutes all our who stopped the clock last year at 1:06:41, young scholars and we encourage them to keep pushing the frontiers of inquiry, and Stephen Tanui who finished fourth knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. in 2011. Leading the Caribbean pack Continuing to excel in the areas of research and teaching and learning are was top Guyanese Cleveland Forde, key strategic priorities for our Campus and at graduation time, we not only T&T’s Richard Jones who has always Mary Akor and Judy Jesire Kimuje, share in the celebration of our students and their families, but it also renews the commitment of our staff to engage in the very highest levels of scholarly work finished in the top five, St. Vincent and the and T&T’s Tonya Nero and Guyana’s Grenadines Pamenos Ballantyne, who and service to our country and region. Alika Morgan. Nero recently set a new I have no doubt that this is what sets the UWI apart. I am extremely proud was crowned T&T Marathon champion national record of 1:15:13 at the IAAF of all of our graduates and look forward to seeing them blaze new trails for the seven times, and Miami-based Ronnie World Half-Marathon Championships region, and distinguishing themselves in their respective fields as our eight Holassie who holds the national record in Bulgaria. The queen of local long honorary graduands have done. for the 5,000m and the Marathon. The distance running now holds four Just this morning, we witnessed several athletes from around the world set men’s course record of 1:05:07 was set national records: her other records are out with a fervent spirit in the annual UWI SPEC International Half-Marathon. in 2006. in the 5000m, 10000 and the Marathon. I am always inspired and awed by these athletes who push themselves to the limits of endurance through sheer willpower. It is another example of what can be The women’s race was expected to be The female course record of 1:12:08 an exciting contest between the Kenyan achieved through dedication, perseverance and hard work. It is also a reminder was set by Jemima Sumgong of Kenya that as the incidence of non-communicable diseases increases in the Caribbean pair of 2012 T&T Marathon champion in 2006. Sumgong has since gone on and our population ages, we must also dedicate time for physical exercise, to to make a name for herself and in challenge ourselves not only intellectually but physically. Health and wellness are Granny Luces April this year placed second at the the foundation of healthy families, a healthy workforce and healthy societies. prestigious Boston Marathon. Next week, the UWI St. Augustine Campus will host its Family Day and The male and female champions I am looking forward to this event bringing together all our staff members are guaranteed US $2,000 with an and their families, in a relaxed setting of healthy, fun-filled competition and camaraderie. additional US $1,000 for breaking the course record. The race started at 6am outside UWI SPEC at St. Augustine Circular, headed east on the traffic-free Priority Bus Route up to La Resource, D’Abadie, where runners have to turn CLEMEnt K. Sankat Pro Vice Chancellor & Principal around and head back to the start. Our photos from last year’s event show two of the race stalwarts Granny Luces and Charles Spooner. EDITORIAL TEAM CAMPUS PRINcipal Professor Clement Sankat DIRectoR of MARKetiNG AND CommuNicatioNS Mrs. Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill DIRectoR of MARKetiNG AND CommuNicatioNS (Ag.) Mrs. Wynell Gregorio EDITOR Ms. Vaneisa Baksh CONTACT US The UWI Marketing and Communications Office Tel: (868) 662-2002, exts. 82013 / 82014 Or email: [email protected] 4 UWI TODAY – SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER, 2012 ENERGY CAMPUS NEWS COTE 2012 We still don’t know what kind of society we are building For two days in October, The UWI’s Conference on the to their full potential in the workplace. Maybe they’re not Economy (COTE) brought together students and staff from sure of exactly what their newly earned degree will afford each of its Campuses, as well as academics, researchers and THE PANEL DISCUSSION: ‘Education and Work- them in terms of employment, suggested Dr. Smith. Or, as representatives from universities and other institutions force Development’ was led by Dr Nicole Smith, Dr Henry pointed out, do they need more time to adapt around the world. Research Professor and Senior Economist at the to the new skills they’ve gained? Mr. Thomas lent his Georgetown University Center on Education and the Established by the Department of Economics in 2007, Workforce; Mr Peter Mitchell, Senior Planning Officer own observation to the discussion – students don’t leave COTE has become an annual event, now in its sixth year. in the Socio-Economic Policy Planning Division, Min- university with enough of a “sense of self worth.” However, It endeavours to provide “a platform for the exchange of istry of Planning and the Economy; Mr Keith Thomas, Mr. Warrick defended these new entrants to the workforce, ideas and the presentation of new and innovative research Group Senior Vice President, Executive and Investment “we haven’t as yet come to terms with what kind of society in key areas related to the field of economics,” said Professor Committees’ member, and Executive Chairman of the we are building,” and it only makes sense that if you don’t Clement Sankat, UWI St. Augustine Campus Principal, Information Technology, Communications Business feel like you’re part of a society, you fend for yourself. It during his address at the conference’s opening. Unit of Neal & Massy Holdings Limited; and Mr Ossie seems that people are trained to work as individuals as “a This year, motivated by the 50th independence Warrick, Chief Education and Research Officer of the lot of workers we see coming out are individualistic and anniversaries of both Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, the Oilfields’ Workers Trade Union (OWTU). materialistic,” he said. conference followed the theme 50 years of Managing for Regardless, Trinidad and Tobago and the region Development in an ever changing Economic Environment: need to keep pace with the world and to do this, we Lessons Learnt and the way forward. view to identifying the lessons learnt and suggesting a way must be competitive. If the workforce is being filled with Today, Caribbean islands are faced with the challenges forward.” underperforming university graduates, said Dr Henry, of “high debt/GDP ratios, high levels of unemployment, This theme echoed through each session, in particular the older workers will have to pick up the slack, which negative balances of international trade, slow or negative the armchair discussion which ended the conference’s first could result in an older retirement age. Are we prepared growth, the high cost of energy, little or no progress in the day: ‘Education and Workforce Development’. The session for this? diversification of their economies, crime, a perceived human was chaired by Dr. Ralph Henry, Consultant in the capacity All the panellists agreed that Trinidad and Tobago resource mismatch, prolonged brain drain, climate change, of team leader of research teams on various projects, as has put some things in place to ensure that we graduate a CARICOM that seems at times to have lost its way, a high well as Individual Consultant for a number of regional and students fully equipped with the skills they need for their food import bill, and NCDs (non-communicable diseases) international organisations in the Caribbean and South chosen professions. For example, the GATE programme, and their impact on both the quality of life of citizens and Africa.

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