CHILL MAGAZINE

Persons curious about what kind of research is taking place at Cave Hill Campus can now turn to a brand new publication which captures a snapshot of studies faculty are engaged in, ranging from cutting-edge medical and scientific endeavours to enlightening legal, educational and other areas of discovery.

 

The publication which was launched at the Campus’ Research Day in January is titled Research at Cave Hill: Supporting National and Regional Development.

 

It features a total of 28 of The University of the West Indies top researchers from among the academic staff attached to its five faculties, including entities such as the regional research unit, the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) and the Institute for Gender and Development Studies.
Some of the work of regional economists Dr Winston Moore and Dr Keith Nurse is captured in the publication which also highlights medical and scientific work being undertaken on HIV/AIDS, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, the ageing process and ocular disease among many others. “…we are working to commit more resources to building our
capacity for research and innovation on the Campus,”

Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of Cave Hill, Sir Hilary Beckles says in the publication’s foreword. “In part, this is because we recognise that the central purpose of any good university is the creation of new knowledge.”

 

To this end, the book which was edited by Gale Hall and Alan Cobley, who also coordinated activities for the inaugural Research Day, points to important research on fisheries and the marine environment, tourism, the marauding Giant African Snail and other areas of special interest to Caribbean residents.
“Our new emphasis on research and innovation is not merely a matter of fulfilling a pledge made in our Strategic Plan; in the current economic global climate it has become an absolute necessity that we claim our rightful place as one of the key producers in the knowledge economy,” says Sir Hilary whose work on economic and social history, cricket and as a playwright is featured.
The volume also highlights research on education by Director of the School of Education, Dr Jennifer Obidah, a former tenured professor of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) whose work examines the socio-cultural context of economically disenfranchised Black students’ educational achievement. A current research project in which she is engaged is looking at the impact of technology integration on academic achievement in Barbadian schools.

 

Under the theme, Supporting National and Regional Development, over 260 posters were displayed by faculty and graduate students during the Cave Hill Campus’ inaugural Research Day held on January 18–19, 2010. Events on Campus included performances, lectures, demonstrations and symposiums.

 

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