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  • 1 year ago
Greater emphasis is being placed on strengthening scientific research and development within the Caribbean through a collaboration between the University of Technology of Jamaica and the University of the West Indies.

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00:00On Wednesday, the institutions embarked on day one of the Biennial Frontiers of Research
00:06in Caribbean Science and Technology, or FORCAST, conference.
00:10The conference is also supported by the Universities of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
00:16Its theme this year revolves around advancing science and technology innovation for national
00:22and regional development.
00:24Speaking at the conference, Jamaica's Minister of Education, Fay Val Williams, described
00:29the theme as not just timely, but vital, as it resonates with the challenges and opportunities
00:35facing the region.
00:37At the opening ceremony, Dr. Kevin Brown, President of UTEC, highlighted the conference's
00:42collaboration with universities across the region, saying this is the sort of collaboration
00:48that the Caribbean needs.
00:51National development, he believes, has to be a regional activity.
00:55Professor Brown shared that tourism is not going to be the pivot point for exponential
01:00growth.
01:01It has to be technology.
01:04This, he added, must be led by CARICOM.
01:07In her keynote address, Jamaica's Minister of Education, Fay Val Williams, referred to
01:12science and technology as the cornerstones of the Caribbean's future, pointing out areas
01:17that offer further opportunities for research and development.
01:21The research being presented at this conference underscores the immense talent and potential
01:29that exists within our region, but there is still more talent and more scientific and
01:38technological work to be undertaken for the benefit of our nations.
01:43Top of the list, as you would guess, is climate change and environmental sustainability.
01:50Dr. Williams drew further attention to other areas that provide ample opportunity for more
01:55scientific and technological research, including renewable energy, health, agriculture, food
02:02security and digital transformation.
02:05We don't just want you to do research.
02:09We would like to see innovation and entrepreneurship come from that research.
02:15I challenge you to speed up the transfer of research and technological innovations
02:21from academia to industry, and I challenge you as well to ensure effective communication.
02:31Research for research's sake is good.
02:34It has some merit, but I say to you the greater good is research that produces goods and services
02:42to promote life, to promote the economy and so on.
02:47Over the next three days, the forecast conference will feature a wide variety of presentations
02:53and workshops, including five plenary sessions by regional and international experts in AI,
03:00cyber security, health care, food security and climate change.
03:05Zoe Laidu, TV6 News.
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