SEPTEMBER, 2009 NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, MONA CAMPUS Postgraduate Learning Commons Pioneering PHysiCaL mediCine uWi: oPens in main Library & r e H a b i L i t a t i o n M a k i n g i M p a c t o n a g r i c u l t u re THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES inside Contents mona news is a publication of the Public Principal ’s message 3 relations office, the university of the West indies, mona Campus uWi neWs • rex nettleford honoured for cultural contributions 5-6 please send comments and feedback to: • Bermuda joins uWi family 6 the editor, public relations office 4 gibraltar Hall road, kingston 7, • Medical programmes accredited 6 Jamaica, W.i. • uWi to confer 16 honorary degrees 8-9 tel: 876-977-5941; 876-935-8348 • new appointments 9 Fax: 876-977-6699 • uneSco funds distance teaching for development of 10 email: [email protected] Website: www.mona.uwi.edu/proffice Small island States • vice chancellor ’s award for excellence 10 editor carroll edwards mona news Contributors • centre for Disabilities Studies at Mona 12 karen cadien • Health leadership institute focuses on policymakers 13 carla l campbell • paHo/WHo collaborating on Midwifery centre 13 georgia Hemmings angela reid • postgraduate learning commons opens in Main library 14-15 Jamaica information Service • Mona embraces recycling project 16-17 uWi public relations office neWs rounduP design & Layout great House omniMedia ltd. • tracer Study indicates High graduate employment 18-19 • Bringing Maths to life 20 Coordinator • Mona – three times champions 21 gwyneth Davidson • uWi participates in green expo 22 PHotograPH y • Writing Jamaican the Jamaican way 23 Frank Marzou ca • uWi Mona recognizes Student excellence 23 aston Spaulding uWi public relations office Features • pioneering physical Medicine and rehabilitation 24-25 • Sports Medicine clinic now open 25 agriculture Features uWi's mission • tHe enDuring MiSSion oF tHe uWi Mona launches agriculture programme 26 univerSity oF tHe WeSt inDieS • possibilities of the mobile phone in agriculture 28 iS to propel tHe econoMic, • research impacting food security, medicinal extracts 29 Social, political anD cultural DevelopMent oF WeSt inDian • Student internships Benefitting communities 30-31 Society tHrougH teacHing, reSearcH, innovation, aDviSory new Professors: anD coMMunity ServiceS, anD • prof. Silvia kouwenberg 32 intellectual leaDerSHip. • prof. Marvin reid 33 • prof. oswald Simon 34 no part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher or agent. student Feature Sandre Malcolm: thinking out of the box 36 2 sPorts neWs 38-40 PrinciPal ’’s Message THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES transforming uWi, mona into an agile, globally Competitive institution ow entering the third year as Principal of the Mona Campus of the UWI, I hope that our commitment to nexecuting the 2007-12 Strategic Plan that has as its mission the transformation of a University established in colonial times into an agile, globally competitive 21st century academy, is palpably evident. Over the past two years, we have introduced new programmes in science, engineering, agriculture and law that are responding to our citizens ’ ’call for quality academic degrees that drive development and that are available at affordable prices. We have opened up a satellite Campus in Montego Bay to cater to a wider cross-section of our people and introduced programmes there that will drive development in the western region. We have refashioned our programmes in media communications, rationalized and augmented our sports teaching and research programmes and re-focused our curricula in cultural studies. to support a strengthened Mona campus curriculum, we have increased student and faculty access to library and ict facilities. our international students ’office has rallied to the call to broaden the composition of the student body so that exposure to cultures other than our own, always a feature of the uWi, will resound with new meaning as we enfold students around the globe in exchange and degree programmes. 3 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES in tandem with these innovations, we have worked assidu - additionally, the cross-campus collaboration required in ously at becoming more responsive to our students ’ emo - developing a uWi curriculum, setting and marking exami - tional, spiritual and psychological needs. to this end, we nations and ensuring academic programme quality, have spent a great deal of our marketing budget on pro - anchors the regional nature of the university. Finally, the ducing reader-friendly and attractive programme effort to institutionalise cross-campus and intra-regional brochures that act as welcoming guides to faculty offer - courses and student internships, the many co-and extra- ings and campus life. the campus has been virtually curricula student enrichment programmes requiring stu - transformed with bursts of colourfully painted buildings dent travel across the caribbean, command centre stage and strategically placed shaded sitting areas that are in one of the key pillars of the Strategic plan, that wireless hotspots dotting freshly landscaped grounds. of strengthening teaching and learning. the regional round the clock work to transform the administrative nature of the uWi, Mona campus stands firm. operations, through upgrade and integration of our enter - i am pleased to welcome our new and returning stu - prise systems and the acculturation of staff towards effi - dents to a campus whose sole purpose is to lead in the cient service delivery, has been another priority. development of a nation and a region where they can So the question is asked: now that each of the three enjoy freedom, brotherhood, prosperity and peace. country campus es of the uWi offers all academic pro - grammes, what will become of the regional identity of the university? to me, the answer is simple. Students from across the caribbean who are scholarship holders or who are financially secure, will often choose a campus away gordon shirley, oJ from their home, if that campus ’s quality is sufficiently Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal competitive. the same holds true for faculty. UWI, Mona Campus 4 UWI News “life is long distance running, rex nettLeFord not sprinting. ” ’These words of Honoured For advice were among many offered by International cul - CuLturaL tural icon, Professor Rex Nettleford, as he received the Contributions The Chancellor’s Award from oFten touteD aS one oF tHe region ’S leaDerS in tHe perForMing The University of The West artS, nettleForD WaS HonoureD For HiS iMMeaSuraBle contriBu - Indies (UWI). Nettleford was tion to cultural DevelopMent in tHe region. honoured at a ceremony held on Friday 24th April at Daaga Auditorium, UWI, St. Augustine Campus. The cere - mony was hosted by UWI Chancellor Sir George Alleyne, and attended by members of the diplomatic corps and Government Ministers. As was only fitting, this event proved to be a cultural treat, as it featured The Lydian singers, dancers, steel pan music and tassa drums, under the capa - ble direction of Pat Bishop. proFeSSor nettleForD (rigHt) acceptS WarM congratulationS at tHe aWarDS cereMony is a special award of Distinction made the chancellor ’s Medal by the chancellor of the university of the West indies to a person who has made a signal, substantial and lasting contribution to the welfare and development of the uWi. it is also awarded to persons who have enabled the university of the West indies to gain access to significant resources for the achievement of its mission: delivering to the region quality higher education through teaching, outreach and research, and thereby facilitating the caribbean ’s growth and development. in an acceptance speech that touched on a myriad of top - lenges no one of us can handle on one ’s own ”. He also ics, nettleford even managed to squeeze in an “appeal to expressed his “deepest appreciation, humility and grati - my university colleagues to double their efforts, work tude ” at receiving this prestigious award and explained harder than many of us admittedly now tend to do, to that he owed a lot to “this flagship caribbean institution of bring to our students (the next generation) the caring and growth and instrument of development ”. compassion which a true centre of learning must afford its often touted as one of the region ’s leaders in the performing wards, and foster the sense and sensibility that will have arts, nettleford was honoured for his immeasurable contribu - the region fully prepared to engage the globalised chal - tion to cultural development in the region. cont ’d... 5 the university of the west indies, mona september 2008 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES this well-known caribbean scholar, trade union educator, he has served on several international bodies concerning social and cultural historian and political analyst is the intercultural development and academic scholarship, such founder, artistic director and principal choreographer of the as uneSco and the organistaion of american States internationally acclaimed national Dance theatre company (oaS). of Jamaica. a former rhodes Scholar, he is vice chancellor to date, professor nettleford has been the recipient of emeritus of uWi, and was responsible for introducing the numerous awards including c aricoM ’S highest award ’the cultural Studies initiative which has attracted many postgrad - order of the caribbean community (occ). in his address, uate scholars since its inception in 1996. nettleford urged all to recognise that ‘the real resources given his extensive list of achievements it ’s no surprise of our regional university lie in the people who teach, con - that nettleford wholeheartedly believes that “sustained duct research and reach out to the wider society which it professional application is the surest guarantee of excel - was set up to serve ’. undoubtedly rex nettleford will con - lence ”. professor nettleford has served the region in many tinue to serve his country, his region and the world of cul - capacities and continues to do so as editor of caribbean tural arts.