UWI researchers explore socio-economic development issues

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 16th staging of the UWI Research Days at the university's undercroft on Monday, Professor Archibald McDonald, principal of the Mona campus, said the Research Days will showcase life-changing and monumental work conducted by the university's academia.

"This tour will distinguish us as the premier tertiary and research institution in the Caribbean. You will be exposed to an experience that highlights the highest quality of research and innovation currently taking place in the Caribbean. Over the next three days our faculties will provide insight to project and programmes designed to improve the quality of life, sustainability and welfare of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. The tour will showcase our intellect and our yearn to solve and correct some of Jamaica's most damaging socio-economic problems," Prof McDonald said Monday.

According to the campus principal, the event, which is being held under the theme 'Innovating for Development through Science, Creativity, Productivity and Governance', explores one of the core aspects of the university's mandate.

He said: "As a research community we believe that it is our inherent duty to produce work that will facilitate positive change for our community, work that is guided by a single mission of improving the development capabilities of our island so that we can become key players in the international system."

The UWI principal added that projects such as the regional climate and observational record database and utilised scientific modelling to better understand climate change and its impact on small island development states will be among the highlights. Additionally, he mentioned that entrepreneurial development and the stabilisation, and improvement of the nation's business and economic framework, will be highlighted in projects such as the start-up barriers for micro small entrepreneurs in UWI communities.

Professor Michael Nobel, chairman of the Nobel Sustainability Trust Foundation, who delivered the keynote address said universities play a major role in the development of a country and have an absolutely paramount place in the global system, hence there should be collaborations with leading industrial players to further a society's development.

"Higher education promotes global economic growth and the University of the West Indies is a good example of collaborations between countries. With higher education, there will be opportunities through workforce development. Develop online education as not every university can accept an unlimited number of people and provide free of charge training programmes to expanding employees," Prof Nobel said.

He added that there should be close relations between industrial and research partners to understand industry demands and shortfalls to see how research can foster change.

Nobel also said in order to move forward emphasis should be placed on jobs and income generated by research policies.

He maintained that the places to look for research that will guarantee opportunities are the industries that rely heavily on the advances in sciences.

New features of the Research Days include a policy wall, where a small sample of work that has positively influenced public policy was displayed, and an opportunity lounge where researchers had the chance to maximise funding opportunities by facilitating face-to-face meeting opportunities with potential funding partners