Research is critical to society, says UWI professor

Supporting a knowledge-based economy requires more postgraduate students with skills, knowledge and research expertise.

This is the stance of Campus Co-ordinator, School for Graduate Studies and Research at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, Professor Eddy Ventose.

Addressing the Fifth Annual Scholars breakfast in honour of the 2013/2014 scholarship winners of the Cave Hill Campus on Thursday morning at the 3Ws Oval in Barbados, he congratulated the group, which was made up of eight Barbadians, three St. Lucians, two Vincentians and one Dominican, Grenadian, Trinidadian, Bahamian and American.

He pointed out that these individuals would be involved in cutting-edge research on issues affecting West Indian society.

Some of their projects include: Cultural Studies – the relationship between the cultural tourism industry and its intangible benefits to the local population; Biochemistry – fatty acid synthase gene analysis in Uterine Leiomyoma in Barbados (benign tumours of the uterus); Computer Science – an immunological approach to computer system protection; Economic Development Policy – Education revolution in St. Vincent; Economics – Sustainable Energy Efficient Engineering; Education – Formative Assessment in Lower Secondary Schools in Grenada.

“So not only will your research attempt to understand, and to resolve, the problems of West Indian Society, but importantly too, it will seek to make a contribution to the global issues that confront small island societies such as ours. What is important is that we adopt a distinctively West Indian approach by West Indians to resolving them – borrowing whenever necessary from the experience of other small island states or even those of developed countries,” he stated.

Ventose outlined that the Cave Hill Campus has awarded over 80 postgraduate research scholarships in the last four years and now boasts over 200 registered graduate research students. (JMB)